Car maker partners with DowAksa to make lighter cars

American multinational automaker, Ford has accelerated the carbon fibre research to drive innovation in manufacturing technology.

The automaker announced a significant new collaboration with DowAksa to develop manufacturing innovations in automotive-grade carbon fibre for use in future products.

Ford and DowAksa are accelerating joint research to develop high-volume manufacturing techniques - aiming to make vehicles lighter for greater fuel efficiency, performance and capability.

The companies will be part of the newly formed Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, created by the U.S. government. The institute is part of the larger National Network for Manufacturing Innovation supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Innovation enables acceleration of Ford research and development of low-cost, high-volume carbon fibre; could reduce vehicle weight, increase fuel efficiency without sacrificing strength.

"Our collaboration with DowAksa and participation in this organisation significantly boosts what we are able to achieve," Ford Vice President, Research and Advance Engineering, Ken Washington said in a statement to .

"We have a true alliance of highly talented people working to take automotive materials to the next level."

The mission of the institute and the goal of Ford's collaboration with DowAksa - a 50/50 joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii A.S. - is to overcome the high cost and limited availability of carbon fibre, while developing a viable, high-volume manufacturing process.

"This opportunity builds upon Ford's current joint development agreement with Dow Chemical and accelerates our timeline to introduce carbon fibre composites into high-volume applications. This collaboration helps us accelerate our efforts to create lighter automotive-grade composite materials that benefit customers by enabling improved fuel economy without sacrificing strength," Ford global Manager, Materias and Manufacturing Research, Jim deVries also said in the statement.

Carbon fibre composites have been used in aircraft and racing cars for decades because they provide high strength with extremely low weight.

Creating lighter vehicles is a major part of Ford's Blueprint for Sustainability to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Current products that apply a light-weighting philosophy include Fiesta - which uses high-strength, lightweight boron steel.