[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Group and Boeing to collaborate on carbon fiber recycling

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12.12.2012

Munich/Seattle. The BMW Group and Boeing signed a collaboration agreement to participate in joint research for carbon fiber recycling as well as share manufacturing knowledge and explore automation opportunities.

Both the BMW Group and Boeing are pioneering the use of carbon fiber in their products. With the release of the BMW i3 in late 2013, followed later by the BMW i8, the BMW Group will bring two vehicles with a carbon passenger cell onto the market for the first time and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is made up of 50 percent carbon fiber material. Recycling composite material at point of use and at the end of the product life therefore is essential to both companies.

“Boeing for us is a suitable partner for a collaboration in the field of carbon fiber”, said Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of BMW AG for Development. “Boeing has many years of extensive experience using carbon fiber in the field of aviation, while the BMW Group has earned a significant competitive advantage through its use of special manufacturing methods for series production of carbon fiber parts. Through this cooperation we can merge know-how between our industries in the field of sustainable production solutions.”

“This collaboration agreement is a very important step forward in developing the use and end use of carbon fiber materials,” said Larry Schneider, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Product Development, who represented Boeing at the signing in Seattle. “It is especially important that we plan for the end of life of products made from carbon fiber. We want to look at ways to reclaim and reuse those materials to make new products. Our work with the BMW Group will help us attain that goal.”

Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire was instrumental in securing the location for the BMW plant in Moses Lake and promoted the partnership between Boeing and the BMW Group.

“This exciting partnership between two global players and industry leaders is a win for our state,” said Gregoire. “This will help Washington further develop our capabilities and leadership position in the game-changing technology of carbon fiber. I’m pleased that BMW and Boeing have joined forces as this is a logical next step for the industry.”

As part of the collaboration agreement, Boeing and the BMW Group will share carbon fiber manufacturing process simulations and ideas for manufacturing automation. The collaboration agreement between the two companies is the first in the history of either company.

As part of its SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC joint venture, the BMW Group has built a new, state-of-the-art carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, Washington (USA), together with the SGL Group. The plant is an important component in both companies’ strategy to automate production of ultra-light carbon fiber reinforced plastics for use in future vehicle concepts. The carbon fibers produced in Moses Lake will be used exclusively for the BMW Group’s BMW i3 and BMW i8.

The facility in Wackersdorf makes the carbon fibers into fabrics, which are processed at the Landshut plant to make lightweight CFRP body components for the BMW i3, which will be assembled at the BMW Plant Leipzig.

Also see our previous features on BMW and its carbon fiber development/production:

• Next 7 Series to be First Mainstream BMW Model with Carbon Fiber as a Key Material

• Video: How BMW Carbon Fiber is Born - Manufacturing at SGL and Landshut

• Video: Fascinating Look Into BMW Carbon Fiber Manufacturing Process

• Megacity Vehicle will be world’s 1st volume-produced carbon fiber passenger cell car

[PaulBailey@ltbmw]

[D0pe_AZ]

That should be one hell of a collaboration

[Nang Vann]

Awesome team!

[Black Flagged]

[bimmerjph]

Cool.

[antzcrashing]

Very cool, adding to the legitimacy of the carbon fiber revolution, lets bring this on

[ZSCORE]

Munich/Chicago

[m5 guy]

Great partnership. Can't wait to see what comes from this.

[BPMSport]

This is awesome! One step closer to our BMW's being able to fly!!

[positiveions]

umm, so now we can spread our wings and fly

[Judah]

This is a very smart and well thought out move on BMWs part. What many people don't know is that Boeing is purchasing or has purchased a 3D printer capable(big enough) of printing an entire wing section in, (wait for it) Carbon Fiber...

Amazing Tech...

[hookandpull]

So why is it you locked my thread that I started on this?

[atown88]

Now..to get a job at this BMW factory..

[Mysecondwife]

So I work with Boeing on the KC-46 program. I love airplanes and love my BMW. Looks like I need to find a job with BMW and still work with Boeing! Win-win!

[n54gte]

3200lbs curb weight

[hookandpull]

Believe me you don't want to live in Moses lake... I am a flight test engineer and flew over 500 test flight hours on the 787 before it was certified and we spent most of those hours flying in and out of Moses lake which used to be an Air Force but now is owned by Boeing for flight testing. Moses is 200 miles east of Seattle on the other side of the cascade mountain range and currently I believe Moses produces the most potatoes in the country. So now there is a retired AF bbase owned by Boeing for flight testing, a Walmart, a shit ton of potatoes and a bad ass BMW plant

[atown88]

Originally Posted by hookandpull

Believe me you don't want to live in Moses lake... I am a flight test engineer and flew over 500 test flight hours on the 787 before it was certified and we spent most of those hours flying in and out of Moses lake which used to be an Air Force but now is owned by Boeing for flight testing. Moses is 200 miles east of Seattle on the other side of the cascade mountain range and currently I believe Moses produces the most potatoes in the country. So now there is a retired AF bbase owned by Boeing for flight testing, a Walmart, a shit ton of potatoes and a bad ass BMW plant

Oh shii thats right. I forgot Moses Lake was over in Eastern WA. I thought Ellensburg was bad while I was in school, everything beyond that was

[hookandpull]

Moses lake is a hole... I did more touch and go's on that shit hole then I care to admit.

[iczz]

bmw is back to the sky!

[Malibu1]

Woo Hoo! Another SPEEA Engineer in the house here also

[seventy5]

👍