Discuss 2 comments

Read

High-Tech Materials in F1 and Watchmaking

written by A.Morgan - 27th Apr 2011

A tenth of a second can be all it takes to differentiate a Formula 1 team between glory and tomorrow’s chip-shop wrappings. Every member of the team has a job to do to maximise the performance of the car, and it’s the job of the design engineers to whittle out every last piece of fat from each component. Choosing the right material for the job can mean thinner, stronger and lighter parts, and it’s the in-depth understanding of each material’s composition that allows them to choose the best one for each application. There is a core group of exotic materials used in Formula 1 that is also filtering down into the world of prestige watches – each one has its own strengths, weaknesses and variations, and are all used in very different applications.

We spoke to Amanda Chamberlain of Super Alloys, a leading supplier of these exotic materials to the Formula 1 teams to find out more. ‘The main reason the F1 teams buy our materials is the low density rate it has compared to the high strength at high temperatures. It’s as simple as that!’ says Amanda.

Let’s look at these materials in a bit more detail to find out what makes them so good:

Aluminium

Ferrari's 2000 V10 F1 engine has an aluminium alloy block

This ubiquitous material is the cornerstone of good strength to weight ratios, and is found all over a Formula 1 car. The engine block, pistons and some gearbox casings are forged from aluminium alloys, making them considerably lighter than their steel equivalent.

An alloy is the infusion of a metal with another material to alter its basic properties – a cross-breed of sorts – and adding materials such as copper, magnesium, silicon or zinc can drastically change the way a metal behaves. It can be stiffer, stronger, lighter – all properties that can tailor the material perfectly for its job. ‘The main reason for having these alloys is purely to have high strength components which are also lightweight,’ says Amanda. The most exotic – and expensive – aluminium alloys are banned.

Oddly, aluminium is not a frequently used material in watchmaking – its colour, although more silvery than steel, is very similar, and its light weight can be off-putting, feeling almost cheap. Sports watches such as the Suunto Core use aluminium to keep weight down, and the Bulgari range also has some aluminium models in it such as the Diagono. Its durability, tarnish resistance and relatively low cost seem almost perfect for wristwatch application, but for the moment, it is often overlooked.

Titanium

Very stable at high temperatures (thanks to a melting point of 1,650°C), very strong in compression, but difficult to cast and weld, titanium and its alloys are another well-used group of materials present in a Formula 1 car. Its low density and therefore light weight make it perfect to use in applications such as brake disc bells, engine valves, con-rods, and drivetrain and suspension components, where temperatures can peak at around 1000°C. ‘The materials are also used for research and development work, wind tunnels and pit gear requirements,’ Amanda adds.

In applications that require high specific stiffness, titanium’s low density is not as appealing, with aluminium alloys and carbon fibre being favoured instead. Before the introduction of the wooden planks underneath the cars to prevent ground-effect aerodynamics being used, the titanium skid plates could often be seen sparking against the ground, but, due to safety precautions, these were banned.

Titanium’s distinctive hue and high strength are very popular characteristics in the watch industry, although, as with aluminium, some find the lightness off-putting. Breitling offer many of their professional range in titanium to reduce the weight, including in the bulky Emergency. Most manufacturers offer titanium watches within their range, and their low-key, rugged appeal continues to keep them popular.

Magnesium

Lightweight magnesium alloys are used for F1 wheels

Used in the extraction process of titanium from its ore, magnesium can also be a useful material in its own right. It is lighter than titanium, but also a lot softer, so it is not suitable for high-tensile applications. It is perfect, however, for fixed-sized structures with good weight distribution, like wheels, and because it is so soft, a failure will be in the form of deformation rather than shattering, providing better safety benefits. ‘It’s also easier to machine,’ Amanda reveals. The use of magnesium, magnesium alloys, or even aluminium alloyed with magnesium is banned from engine blocks and gearbox casings due to its high cost, and also due to the ferocious intensity with which it burns.

Hublot’s Mag Bang makes use of this expensive, super-light material, and is one of only a few watches to do so. Hublot’s ‘fusion’ mantra combines high-tech materials with contemporary design and the slightly yellowish hue of the magnesium gives it a unique characteristic amongst the range, with the benefit of a minimal weight of 72g. A magnesium alloy was used in the Richard Mille RM 038 made for Bubba Watson, the hard-hitting American golfer, to test the impact resistance of the company’s tourbillon movements.

Ceramics

Ceramics can be used both on their own, and as a constituent part of an aluminium alloy. The most common element in a Formula 1 car to be made from ceramics is the bearings. Wheels, clutch and gearboxes all use them, and their wear resistance makes them perfect for the job. Silicon nitride bearings have a very low density, so they are light; they also suffer very little wear and are resistant to high working temperatures. They are, however, hugely expensive and very difficult to make, so although the material would be excellent for use in engine blocks, gearbox casings and brake discs and pads, unless it’s a small component – it’s banned.

Ceramics are superb materials for watch making because they are light-weight, virtually scratch proof and extremely durable. As the technology becomes more viable, an increase in ceramic components can be seen entering the market, from bezels to full cases. Rolex’s cerachrom bezel, for example, is guaranteed to stay virtually scratch and fade-free for its entire life. Panerai, Hublot and IWC have moved the technology to another level, releasing watches with full ceramic cases. Marks and scratches are a thing of the past with this material.

Carbon Fibre

Carbon fibre's instantly recognisable weave is both strong and light

The early 1980’s heralded a major change in Formula 1 when McLaren engineer John Barnard introduced the first carbon fibre composite chassis. This revolutionary material, formed of carbon strands weaved into a mat and impregnated with epoxy resin, is stiff, strong and very light; three times stronger than steel and four times lighter. This material has become the backbone for Formula 1 engineering, and its superb rigidity allows the construction of monocoque structures that provide drivers with unparalleled crash safety. The technology needed to make carbon fibre is gradually becoming cheaper, to the point where some high-end road cars can be seen with carbon fibre panels, although it is still far too expensive for mass production use, and is not suitable for crash repair. Carbon fibre can also be forged to form thick structures as well as lightweight panels, such as brake discs and pads, and with some teams, even gearbox casings. It can even be used to form complex shapes like wheels and engine blocks, but due to the high cost and short lifespan in these applications, it’s banned.

There are a handful watches on the market that incorporate the classic carbon fibre weave into the dial, but Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team is the first watch to use forged carbon fibre as a case material. It has a strange, almost crystalline appearance, and coupled with its low weight and plastic feel, it creates a very individual and distinctive watch. The material is made by compressing seven micron thick carbon threads at a pressure of 300kg/cm², and the final finish on each case is unique.

Others

Metal matrix composites (MMC’s) use metal with a ceramic or carbon fibre weave embedded into them to create ultra-strong, stiff materials, similar to the aluminium-beryllium alloy used for a time that was discovered to produce toxic gases when burnt. Both materials exceed the elasticity limit of 40 GPa set by the FIA, and as such, are banned.

Steel and nickel alloys – more ordinary materials – are also used fairly heavily ‘for car applications such as steering, suspension, exhaust, gearboxes and engine components,’ says Amanda.

Steel, in its different states, is a widely used material for watches because it is hard, finishes well and adds a reassuring weight to a case. There have been a handful of experimental materials used by watchmakers over the years too – for example, silicon is used in moving parts due to its ability to self-lubricate, thus generating low friction.

Tungsten carbide, an alloy of tungsten, has been used by Rado in their cases since 1962, and is also used as a hardened coating in engine and gearbox applications.

Richard Mille developed the RM 009 for Felipe Massa, weighing in at a mere 30g using an aluminium-silicon alloy called Alusic. They then broke their own record with the RM 027, a plastic-carbon composite watch that barely brushed the scales at a miniscule 20g, less than a packet of crisps. Keeping weight down in the movement is titanium-aluminide, a titanium alloy, and the crystal is made from Perspex.

Ulysse Nardin has made the first movement using DIAMonSIL components, a composite of silicium and diamond that is light, extremely hard, and requires no lubrication, a watchmaker’s dream. It was developed using nanotechnology.

The majority of the materials described here have been developed for the aerospace and defence industries, whose research and design is constantly pushing the envelope to keep one step ahead of the opposition. These technologies eventually filter through to top formula motorsport, and also to high end watches as it becomes more affordable (or rather, less expensive). It’s strange to think that these fancy materials were once the leading developments in space flight programmes and fast-jet prototypes, usually run by NASA, but surprisingly, a lot of day-today technology was developed in this same fashion. New materials and technologies are being researched constantly, and with the advent of nanotechnology, the possibilities are endless. At present, shape-memory alloys (also known as smart metals), capable of changing shape and properties on demand are being researched and developed for the aerospace and medical industries; an example of the continuing development of exotic materials.

Who knows – it may not be long before it is possible to buy a watch that can change shape…