The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) in Plymouth Township announced today it will display a new light weight frame for specialty cars at this year’s SEMA Show on Oct. 31 in Las Vegas.
The MMTC has collaborated with Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT) in Detroit, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, and the University of Tennessee to create the frames.
The new C2 frame will be 150 percent stiffer in torsion and 450 percent stiffer in bending than a vehicle’s traditional frame. Rather than being welded, the frame is joined using structural adhesives and mechanical fasteners, allowing thinner section material and a decrease in material cost.
“A key objective for showing our new car frame at SEMA is to gauge industry interest in the light weight frame as we look to commercialize the design next year,” says Michael Coast, president of MMTC.
The SEMA Show will feature a small-scale C2 Corvette model with one of the light weight frame.
“The frame’s construction is not only strong and cost-efficient, it’s nearly 90 pounds lighter than the C2 Corvette baseline,” says Gregg Peterson, principle materials engineer for MMTC. “We look forward to bringing this innovative design to specialty car manufacturers and restorers in the future and showcasing models to industry peers at SEMA this year.”
