JANUARY 17, 2006

Interesting research for F1

While the FIA is continuing down its path to try to control materials in Formula 1, the world of materials technology moves on and in addition to the ever-advancing area of nanotechnology, which could have some fascinating applications in the sport, there is also more down-to-earth work going on.

While the FIA is continuing down its path to try to control materials in Formula 1, the world of materials technology moves on and in addition to the ever-advancing area of nanotechnology, which could have some fascinating applications in the sport, there is also more down-to-earth work going on.

The University of Manchester has just announced a new five-year programme to transform the way in which automobiles, aircraft and trains are constructed by devising new ways in which aluminium, titanium and magnesium can be formed, joined and processed. It is the aim of the researchers to create new manufacturing techniques to enable designers to build lighter and cheaper vehicles and some of this technology will no doubt be useful in the F1 world.

Aluminium, titanium and magnesium are difficult to weld and to form into complex structures and this has limited their use in the past.