The new report details the collaboration between Richard Mille, McLaren and the National Graphene Institute
In January 2017, the world’s lightest mechanical chronograph was unveiled in Geneva, Switzerland, demonstrating the development of innovative composite materials using graphene.
The research behind the project has now been published. This unique precision design watch is the result of a collaboration between Manchester University, Richard Mille Watches and McLaren Applied.
The RM 50-03 watch is made of a unique graphene composite material. The strong and lightweight new case houses the watch device, and the total weight including the strap is only 40 grams.
This cooperation is an excellent project to explore the correct arrangement of graphene in composite materials to make full use of the highest performance of the mechanical stiffness and strength of the two-dimensional material without adding other heavier materials.
Now, the research behind this unique fake watch has been published in the “Composite Materials Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing” magazine. This work was mainly carried out by a team of researchers from the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester.
Professor Robert Young, who led the research, said: “In this work, the mechanical properties of unidirectional reinforced carbon fiber composites have been significantly enhanced by adding only a small amount of graphene to the matrix.
“This may have a future impact on the precision engineering industry, where strength, rigidity and product weight are key issues such as aerospace and automotive.”
Adding a small amount of graphene to the carbon fiber composite material aims to improve stiffness and reduce weight by reducing the overall material usage. Because graphene has high stiffness and strength, its use as a reinforcing material for polymer composites shows great potential for further improving the mechanical properties of composite materials.
The end result is that only 2% by weight of graphene is added to the epoxy resin. The graphene and carbon fiber composite materials obtained are then analyzed through tensile testing, and the mechanism is mainly revealed by using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray CT scanning.
The benefits of this research demonstrate a simple method that can be incorporated into existing industrial processes, enabling the engineering industry to benefit from the mechanical properties of graphene, such as the manufacture of airplane wings or the body of high-performance cars. Richard Mille cheap
The research team found that the addition of graphene significantly improved tensile stiffness and strength compared with carbon fiber equivalent samples. This happens when graphene is dispersed in the material and aligned along the fiber direction.
Dr. Zheling Li, a researcher at the University of Manchester, said: “This study proposes a method to improve the axial stiffness and strength of composite materials through simple conventional processing methods, and clarifies the mechanism that leads to this enhancement.”
Richard Mille’s Aurèle Vuilleumier R&D Manager said: “This project is a perfect example of technology transfer from university to product. The collaboration with McLaren Applied allows graphene-reinforced composites to spread widely in the industry. As a tangible result, for our The customer provided a world record light and robust watch: RM 50-03.”
Dr. Broderick Coburn, senior mechanical design engineer at McLaren Applied, said: “The potential of graphene to enhance the structural properties of composites has been known and has been proven on a laboratory scale for some time. Although this application is niche, it is a A good example. These structural advantages make it a prepreg and then into the actual product.”
The University of Manchester will soon celebrate the opening of its second world-class graphene facility, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center (GEIC), which will open later this year. GEIC will allow the industry to work with academic expertise, transform research into prototypes and trial production, and accelerate the commercialization of graphene. https://www.moonphase-watch.com
