Audi 2008 Annual Report Download - page 23

LIGHTWEIGHT
Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics are
both ultra-light and extremely robust.
Ideal for helicopters like the Euro-
copter EC 135, which is partially made
of this material.
hree, two, one…lift-off!
With a deafening roar, the
Endeavour launches right
on schedule from the Kennedy Space
Center. Its immense fiery tail illumi-
nates the jet-black night sky over
Florida as Flight STS-126 takes off
on its scheduled journey to the Inter-
national Space Station (ISS) in mid-
November 2008. On take-off more
than 2,000 metric tons have to over-
come the force of gravity. And, as on
every space mission, though materials
and structures are subjected to im-
mense forces, they need to be as light
as a feather. After all, every gram
launched from earth means money –
lots of money. The launching cost per
kilogram can reach up to 100,000
U.S. dollars. The type of progress
being made using lightweight design
is evidenced by the midsection of the
Space Shuttle’s body, where engineers
have been able to achieve a 45 per-
cent reduction in weight by using
innovative, fiber-reinforced alloys to
replace the conventional aluminum
solution.
Aeronautics and space travel have al-
ways been trendsetters in lightweight
design. Though the issues facing car
designers are far more earthbound,
they are also caught up in the “weight
trap.” The constantly increasing de-
mand for more comfort, improved
Copy Klaus Jopp
T
safety and – among the most impor-
tant – environmental considerations
necessitates a radical weight-loss pro-
gram. At the top of the list of engi-
neering specifications are greater fuel
efficiency and the resulting reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions. It’s an
empirical formula that any Audi engi-
neer can repeat in his sleep: 100 kilo-
grams less weight on the road means
about 0.35 liters less fuel consump-
tion per 100 kilometers driven and
8.8 grams less CO2emitted per kilo-
meter. That makes lightweight design
more important than ever. And that is
why the automobile industry is in-
creasing its efforts to transfer knowl-
edge gained from aviation and space
travel into its own world.
The Audi brand distinguished itself in
lightweight design very early on, with
its engineers engaged in the area of
materials efficiency since the early
1980s. “That’s when the concept for
the Audi Space Frame, an aluminum
frame structure, was developed. Even
its flat components are load-bearing,
revolutionizing the auto industry,” re-
calls Heinrich Timm, who started this
development in 1983 together with a
small team. With visionary foresight,
the company established the Alu-
minum and Lightweight Design Center
in Neckarsulm in 1994. Today, 170 en-
gineers, materials experts, physicists
and other specialists conduct research
on lightweight automotive design
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