Bucci Composites reveals 22-inch all-carbon fiber wheels for Bentley SUV
The lighter component design — which offers weight savings of six kilograms per wheel — reduces rotational inertia, promises better vehicle handling and meets Bentley’s structural and aesthetics requirements.
All photo credit: Bucci Composites
A 22-inch all-carbon fiber wheel developed by Bucci Composites S.p.A (Faenza, Italy) has recently been presented by British car manufacturer Bentley for its Bentayga SUV. Said to be the largest all-carbon fiber wheel ever made, it offers weight savings of six kilograms per wheel, in addition to an innovative design and excellent performance.
Bucci Composites says the benefits of a lighter component design means less rotational inertia, which translates into greater acceleration, shorter braking distance and better vehicle handling. Further, less un-sprung mass means improved grip between the tire and road, thus ensuring excellent road-holding characteristics.
Another key benefit of the ultralight wheel is the hub-wheel coupling system which is said to enable the wheel to be fixed to the hub in the traditional way, eliminating the risk of wheel bolt torque loss. This assembly system therefore provides all the advantages of a conventional wheel fixing system but with a weight reduction, Bucci says.
“We worked closely with Bentley to develop a rim that satisfies both the structural and aesthetics requirements, excellent technical skills and perseverance,” says Ing. Andrea Bedeschi, Bucci Composites general manager. “We have made large investments to develop this product. For us, it is only the beginning of a development path that will see us present both for activities with the main high-end automotive manufacturers and in the aftermarket sector.”
According to Bucci Composites, the carbon fiber rim has undergone rigorous testing as part of this process. The company says it is also the only manufacturer globally to have passed the new TUV standard — a German testing body for the certification of automotive components — for non-metallic rims, a standard that was not in existence when the project started.
Bucci Composites has also invested in new innovative production technology such as high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM), which will enable it to continue developing new carbon fiber wheel models for the automotive sector.
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