Nanotechnology and innovation in vehicle manufacture
Nanotechnology refers to the production and application of materials at an atomic or molecular scale. While the concept of manipulating materials at an infinitesimal scale was formulated in the 1950s, it was only in the early 2000s that these scientific forays gained a foothold in commercial manufacture.
Today, thousands of nanotechnology-dependent products are available to consumers, with new ones being developed every week. Yet despite having delivered many breakthroughs in mainstream manufacture and industrial design, we are only just beginning to see the technology's true potential when it comes to the automotive industry.
Why is nanotechnology so significant to the automotive industry?
Vehicles present us with a number of interesting engineering challenges. They must be lightweight enough to permit rapid acceleration and deceleration, but also strong enough to withstand those forces. Engines, in particular, require materials that afford a combination of durability and flexibility. There is also the aesthetically-driven demand for materials that are both pleasing to the eye and resistant to the constant pressures of driving and human contact.
For the vast majority of the history of car design, the story of innovation revolved almost solely around seeking better solutions for these engineering conundra. Then the potential of nanotechnology came to light. Stronger, lighter and more durable than conventionally produced materials, nanomaterials are uniquely positioned to meet the rigour and complexity demanded by advanced vehicle designs.
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