Even Lighter: Student Motorcycle Racing Team Innovates Their Electric Bike Subframe Design with Rock West Composites

by Rock West

May 11, 2021

Tags: STEM

Rock West Composites supports student teams in universities around the country and around the world. We were happy to provide assistance to the Warwick Moto team from the University of Warwick by helping them with with information on carbon development and assembly for the build of their unique 1.3kg subframe.

Warwick Moto is a student-led university project building a highly innovative electric superbike, ‘Aurora’, a motorcycle designed around a superbike chassis known for its excellent handling. The interdisciplinary team is made up of 25 students and academics, with superbike racer Tom Weeden as their rider; they are innovating some impressive state-of-the-art electrical systems to be integrated within it. For instance, they are using an immersion cooled battery pack and a carbon fiber subframe design supported by Rock West Composites. Although racing is a primary target, the team aims to upskill young engineers and expose them to real world engineering. Warwick Moto does this by providing a platform similar to industrial environments. Working side-by-side with engineering companies like Rock West Composites has opened more opportunities for the next generation of engineers to also equip the applicable skills that come with industrial collaboration.

Despite the global challenge that coronavirus has presented, Rock West Composites delivered specialist knowledge on carbon fiber tubing, bonding requirements, and material capabilities to the Warwick Moto team. This was vital for the development of the bike’s subframe. The subframe is the rear substructure of the motorcycle on which the rider sits and experiences large forces as the rider slams down on the seat during races. A hybrid aluminum node was utilized, assisted by Xometry Europe who provided 5-axis machining capability, and coupled with a carbon fiber tube design. This enabled the team to creatively design a subframe lighter than the original found on the donor bike while also housing the inverter. Finite element analysis data were combined with Rock West’s composite expertise to select the correct type of tube for the application, considering layup, modulus and many more factors. The engineering support provided by Rock West enabled the team to develop innovative solutions to optimize the final performance of the part. Capable of withstanding 5G load cases, but with a mass of less than 1.3kg, the final subframe design built is a pioneering engineering development.

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September 20, 2021

NEW: Wet Layup Starter Kits, Small and Large

Are you interested in doing a project with composites but not sure exactly where to start? Perhaps you know what you want to do but just want a kit to get you going? We've got the solution! Get started on your own project with our new Wet Layup Starter Kits. We have two sizes available depending on the size of your project and your level of experience. We recommend everyone have a well-ventilated workspace, a work surface that is protected from damage or will not be harmed by potential epoxy resin spills, and as always safety glasses (not included). The small wet layup kit includes carbon fiber fabric, fiberglass cloth, resin and harder (packets), hi-temp release wax, gloves, cups, stir-sticks, brushes, and a naca duck mold for your first project, but you can use another mold if you have one. The amount of fabric and resin is enough for a small part or two). If you have a more ambitious project in mind, the large wet layup kit includes greater quantities of carbon fiber fabric, fiberglass cloth, resin and harder (full containers), hi-temp release wax, gloves, cups, stir-sticks, brushes, and a wedge to help you remove your part from a larger mold. The amount of fabric and resin is enough for a a few larger parts. We made some videos to help you get a visual of what is included with the orders and also give you project ideas. So take a look and order your wet layup starter kits today! Order Small Wet Layup Kit Order Large Wet Layup Kit Wet Layup Starter Kits - Small & Large Kit OverviewFor STEM Students & Hobbyists Composite Part Making Starter Kit - Wet Layup

September 13, 2021

MFG Day October 1, 2021: Register Now for Facility Tours

***In order to attend you must register with CreatorsWanted - links below*** Are you interested in a career in manufacturing? Interested in manufacturing composites but not sure where to start? Perhaps experienced in manufacturing and are considering a career move? We've got something great for you. Rock West Composites is excited to participate in this years MFG Day, a national event organized by The Manufacturing Institute. It's designed to get the workforce, young and old alike, excited about manufacturing and encourage careers in modern manufacturing. Visit CreatorsWanted.org to learn more! "Launched annually on the first Friday in October with events that continue throughout the month, MFG Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive." We are hosting events at our facilities in San Diego and Salt Lake City. Tours will take place on Friday, October 1 at 10AM local time. In order to attend you must register with CreatorsWanted. Follow these links to register for your location! San Diego Registration Salt Lake City Registration

August 31, 2021

RWC Is a Proud Supplier to Blue Origin’s New Shepard Program

On July 20, 2021, Blue Origin’s New Shepard program successfully launched into space and returned four commercial astronauts. It was New Shepard’s first human flight; and with more crewed flights planned for this year and 2022, commercial space travel is just beginning. In August following this exciting achievement, we received a visit from representatives of Blue Origin at our San Diego Headquarters. For a few years now, we have been a quiet contributor to this commercial space effort. As part of their visit, we were recognized as a key supplier to Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. Our team was presented with a certificate and flight patch to honor our contribution to the program. Also, our team received a banner we have since hung in one of our manufacturing bays. Many of our team have had experience in space programs over the years, but commercial space is a new and thrilling endeavor. We were all very proud to be recognized as a supplier to Blue Origin’s historic first human flight. On another fun note, we received postcards for our families as part of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, a non-profit organization that encourages younger generations to “pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space.” We plan on sending our kids' postcards to space on future missions. Won’t you join us? Find out how

August 9, 2021

RWC Celebrates the Opening of Its New San Diego Corporate Headquarters with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rock West Composites Celebrates the Opening of Its New San Diego Corporate Headquarters with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Rock West Composites celebrated the opening of its new corporate headquarters in San Diego, California by having a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. The company is expanding to meet increased demand for its large-scale custom composites manufacturing. San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 9, 2020 – Rock West Composites (RWC) celebrated the opening of its new corporate headquarters with a gathering of staff and guests. Following established COVID safety precautions, the event included a presentation on the status of the business, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a gathering with lunch after the event. Pending the outcome of pandemic restrictions, the company plans to host a formal grand opening ceremony at the end of the year that ties into its 15th anniversary. “Our new headquarters positions the company for continued significant growth,” said Jim Gormican, CEO of Rock West Composites. “This investment supports our core mission to improve services for our customers. With capacity for larger programs and new capital equipment, we can offer more options to ensure our customers get the highest quality composite products for the best value.” Built on an adaptive infrastructure designed for rapid refitting, this new facility offers state-of-the-art flexible manufacturing. With a footprint more than four times larger than the previous site, the plant includes multiple clean room areas and allows for the addition of larger capital equipment including a new 6ft diameter by 14ft autoclave. This building also houses the corporate offices, engineering, product development and manufacturing centered around prototyping and production. In addition to this new facility, RWC has manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake City, UT and Tijuana, Mexico. To visit Rock West Composites’ website, go to www.rockwestcomposites.com. About Rock

July 6, 2021

Expanding Capabilities: New Autoclave on Order!

We are excited to announce that we have initiated procurement of a 14ft x 6ft diameter autoclave that will be delivered in late August and operational mid-September. Along with the autoclave, we have also ordered a full-size precision flat curing table and supplemental equipment to support its operation. RWC has historically focused on low-cost curing methods, but this acquisition will position the business to service more high-performance industries. This strategic capability means we can service all of a customer’s composite manufacturing needs, allowing us to pair customers and their hardware with the right composite manufacturing process and equipment for the most cost-effective solution. We also have put the engineering horsepower in place to execute on high-performance programs. The autoclave will be used to cure composite structures at up to 450°F and 225psi using pressurized nitrogen and integrated vacuum. The autoclave has programmable automated control over pressure, temperature, and vacuum and has a tight thermal gradient to meet aerospace-grade customer specifications. The temperature and pressure range allows for high-performance curing of epoxies, cyanate esters, and bismaleimides (BMIs). Complementing the autoclave is a large cure table at 6ft x 14ft with a 0.015”global flatness and steel cure surface. Download our data sheet. If you have hardware under development that needs to meet exceptional performance standards, contact us now! custom@rockwestcomposites.com. *Photo courtesy of Bondtech