CFRP adhesive technology in the BMW i8

摘要

With its carbon passenger cell the BMW i8 sets new standards in lightweight design. With fiber-appropriate use, carbon is much lighter than steel or aluminum and thus fully compensates for the weight of the high-voltage battery. The Life module (made of carbon) and the Drive module (made of aluminum) are joined together by a structural adhesive joint. Cold-curing two-pack adhesives are used for this. For reasons of sustainability the use of energy-intensive oven processes was dispensed with here. The test pyramid represents the basis for developing and validating the glued joints. Examples include tensile tests on the coupon level and crash tests on the vehicle level. If further weight-related potential is to be accessed in the body structure in the future, an intelligent lightweighting approach with a suitable material mix and an optimized bonded joint will be necessary.