There is a reason why machines, for the most part, rely on the use of metal in their components. This is because unlike other materials such as plastic, metal is more resistant to warping and is definitely a lot tougher and won’t break as easily. However what if you were to combine plastic with carbon fiber?
Would that be strong enough where it could replace metal in the future? Perhaps. Researchers have recently come up with a gear made from plastic that has also been reinforced with carbon fiber, and it seems that in the initial tests, it appears to be durable enough where it could actually be used as a replacement gear in your car.
To create this, the researchers first identified the portion of the gear that might be its weakest, which is where the teeth connects to the gear core. From there, they then added a thin layer of carbon fiber running through each teeth that ultimately helps to strengthen and reinforce the area, thus allowing it to operate with the same durability as a metal gear.
Due to the use of plastic and the sparing use of carbon fiber, producing such components is said to be cheaper than using metal which is one of the advantages in this situation. They are also considerably lighter which could also result in your vehicle being lighter as well which could help with fuel efficiency, or for the speedster, an increase in speed.
Heck, combine that with 3D printing and soon you could see mechanics start churning out replacement parts in the workshop right there and then for customers. The researchers are hoping that come 2017 they can commercialize their creation, but given regulatory hurdles don’t expect to see it make its way inside your cars anytime soon.
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