Forged Composite is a new materials technology developed by Calloway Golf and Lamborghini research engineers. The material debuted in the crown of a new Calloway club head, reducing weight 10 grams. Lamborghini uses Forged Composite in parts of the chassis of a concept car called Sesto Elemento shown at the Paris Auto Show last month.
The primary technology is the use of a proprietary hot isothermal forging process that concentrates over 500,000 turbostratic carbon fibers per square inch to create a material that is lighter and stronger than titanium. Turbostratic refers to a type of crystalline structure that achieves optimal spacing. In isothermal forging, materials and dies are heated to nearly identical temperatures in a vacuum or highly controlled atmosphere that prevents oxidation.
The precision of the Forged Composite tooling gives Callaway control over wall thickness and surface geometry. “That means each Forged Composite part is optimized down to one thousandth of an inch, reducing weight to the absolute minimum,” says Calloway on its Web site.
Test golfers were able to hit balls an average of eight yards farther with clubs made with the new material, says Calloway.
Calloway and Lamborghini began joint work together on carbon composites two years ago. They said that Forged Composite is the first product to emerge from the partnership.
“The introduction of the Forged Composite technology allowed Lamborghini to realize the monocoque and the suspension arms of the Sesto Elemento with groundbreaking quality and costs levels,” says Maurizio Reggiani, director research and development of Automobili Lamborghini. “Our next challenge is to make this technology a standard for low-volume production.”over six tons of pressure. Using this formula in a proprietary isothermal forging process, our engineers are able to precisely set millions of turbostratic carbon fibers with thickness tolerances of one-thousandth of an inch. And since the arrangement of carbon fibers is random, the resulting material strength is in all directions.
Forged Composite uses a vinyl ester matrix because vinyl ester has a lower density than epoxy. The Calloway R&D Department says the resin has good flow, fast cure and high strength.
Using more than six tons of forging pressure, Calloway engineers are able to precisely set millions of turbostratic carbon fibers with thickness tolerances of one-thousandth of an inch. And since the arrangement of carbon fibers is random, the resulting material strength is in all directions.
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