Thanks Graham, but i tried talking to them about a couple of technologies, but they arnt interested.
So i guess you know
http://www.superform-aluminium.com/ makes the panels for the aero's currently the TSB have funded MMC to develop magnesium technology. The challenge is really you need a good knowledge of all light metals to make the right choices.
back in the dim and distant past i worked with Antony on this one
http://www.google.com/patents/US8066925 we were looking at in situ growth of carbon nano tubes on the back of sprayed metal to improve the performance on bumpers. This makes the body panels of the azure ~21% of the weight of the arnarge.
The floor uses the rail system from audi with a P4 carbon sprayed floor.
There are lots of good engineers in the UK who really know what there doing especially when you only need to make small volumes. to put this in perspecitive
using light metals technology then the vechile is only going to be 10% heavier than a composite vechile, but the sweet spot for pressing these parts is around 10000-30,000 vehicles per year, hence Jaguars use of this for the XJ and XK.
To superform them (like MMC does) then the sweet spot is closer to 750-1500 units per year. Here they are missing a trick as these could be composite backed to provide automotive finish with more stability than they currently have, and resolve the corrosion issues, in "wet" areas.
Less than 700 units per year then composite and autoclaving is the way forward, as you can produce one part per 8 hr shift out of one tool, eg 1.5 hr layup, 5 hrs in the autoclave and 1.5hr strip and clean.
May be another area that they are missing out on is the use of technologies like squeeze cast metal matrix composites for suspension components. Filament wound propshaft (the uk makes most of the composite propshafts for Mercedes, BMW, most of the F1 teams, the MoD is even looking at them on the warrior and ascod)
The wacky bit is that the UK is the leader in alot of these technologies, and end up in F1, trains, and fighter planes.
A cool modern Morgan could have a electric drive train, rotary diesel engine in the front with NeFeB pancake generator, flywheel storage and distributed electric motors with regenarative brakeing.
Im sure this would upset some of the traditional folk
Just picking up on wiscos point; what should morgan do in house, and what should it outsource?
