Magneti Marelli has been further developing the innovative, lightweight suspension components it has shown at Vehicle Dynamics Expo in previous years. At the 2012 event, the Italian company is showcasing a hybrid composite front suspension arm that tips the scales at just 0.85kg, compared with 1.5kg for an ultralight steel equivalent.
The part is production-feasible, too, with each stage of the manufacturing process taking less than one minute, according to the firm’s product development manager, Piero Monchiero. For cost reasons however, Marelli is researching alternatives to carbon fiber, including basalt- and glass fiber materials.
Several other noteworthy concepts feature on the stand; there’ll be more on these and other lightweight suspension technologies in the next issue of Vehicle Dynamics International.
