The new carbon fiber bumper beam on the 2020 mid-engine Corvette is drawing attention on this game-changing vehicle for parts and processes in the automotive world.
When General Motors debuted the 2020 Corvette, the industry took notice of the innovative components and the new parts and processes that enhanced performance. The automotive world’s first curved pultruded carbon fiber bumper beam was especially noteworthy. Built by Shape Corp. using Vectorply’s carbon non-crimp fabrics, the bumper beam has been in development by these partners since 2014.
Using Vectorply’s VectorLam cloud-based, multi-platform compatible approach, the partners worked together to attain perfect levels of stiffness, strength, weight, and cost of the laminate for the bumper beam. The unique curved design of the bumper beam offered challenges because of the complex structure dependent on multiple shear wall supports.
Vectorply president and interim CEO Trevor Humphrey commented, “Shape Corp. and GM’s curved, pultruded bumper beam is a monumental accomplishment in the automotive and composite industries, and we are proud of the role that we played in the development and supply of specialty carbon fabrics for this groundbreaking application.”
