CARIM · Project

Automated Mass Production of Carbon Fiber Wheels 30-50% Lighter Than Aluminum

transportPilotedTRL 8

Imagine your car's wheels made from the same carbon fiber used in Formula 1 — half the weight of regular aluminum wheels but just as strong. The problem has always been that carbon fiber parts are slow and expensive to make, basically handcrafted one at a time. This team built an automated factory process that can stamp out a carbon wheel every 10 minutes, bringing the cost down enough to put them on luxury cars headed for the showroom. They even got prototypes through official safety certification testing.

By the numbers

30-50%

Weight reduction compared to aluminum wheels

10 min/component

Maximum cycle time per wheel

1,634€/wheel

Cost in first year of production

1,164€/wheel

Target cost by 2020

52,000 wheels/year

Target production capability at single site by 2020

TRL 6+ to 8+/9

Technology readiness level progression

5 partners

Consortium size across 3 countries

60%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Car manufacturers face growing pressure to cut vehicle weight for emissions compliance and performance, but lightweight materials like carbon fiber are too slow and expensive to produce at automotive volumes. Traditional carbon fiber manufacturing is essentially a craft process — one part at a time, with long cycle times and high labor costs — making it impractical for anything beyond motorsport and supercars.

The solution

What was built

The project built a complete automated manufacturing process chain for carbon fiber wheels, including preforming molds, HP-RTM molds, and an integrated monitoring system — all operational at industrial scale at Fraunhofer ICT. They manufactured prototype wheels that went through full TUV homologation testing for road use.

Audience

Who needs this

Premium automotive OEMs targeting vehicle weight reduction (e.g., Bentley, BMW, Mercedes-AMG)Automotive wheel manufacturers looking to add carbon fiber to their product lineHelicopter and rotorcraft manufacturers needing lightweight structural componentsCarbon fiber component manufacturers wanting to scale from craft production to automated volumesAutomotive tier-1 suppliers seeking lightweight solutions for electric vehicle platforms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive OEMs

enterprise

Target: Premium and luxury car manufacturers looking to reduce vehicle weight for emissions compliance and performance

If you are a premium car manufacturer dealing with tightening CO2 emission targets and the constant push for lighter vehicles — this project developed an automated carbon fiber wheel production process delivering wheels that are 30-50% lighter than aluminum, with cycle times of max 10 minutes per component. The technology was validated with Bentley on the Industrial Exploitation Board and targets series production volumes of 52,000 wheels per year.

Automotive Aftermarket & Tuning

mid-size

Target: High-performance wheel manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers

If you are a wheel manufacturer competing in the premium aftermarket segment where customers pay top dollar for lightweight performance parts — this project created a production-ready carbon wheel with full TUV homologation testing. The projected cost of 1,164€ per wheel by 2020 makes it competitive against current forged aluminum wheels, and the automated HP-RTM process means consistent quality at scale.

Aerospace & Rotorcraft

mid-size

Target: Helicopter and light aircraft component manufacturers seeking weight reduction

If you are a rotorcraft or aviation component manufacturer constantly battling weight budgets — the automated carbon fiber preforming and HP-RTM process developed here was designed for transfer into helicopter and aviation applications. The technology achieves 30-50% weight savings over aluminum equivalents with excellent mechanical performance, and the automated process chain is already proven at industrial scale at Fraunhofer ICT.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does a CARIM carbon wheel cost compared to aluminum?

The project data states 1,634€ per wheel in the first year of production, dropping to 1,164€ per wheel by 2020. These prices are designed to be competitive against current cast and forged aluminum wheels in the premium segment.

Can this scale to real production volumes?

Yes. The project targeted 52,000 wheels per year at a single production site (RiBa) by 2020. The automated HP-RTM process achieves cycle times of max 10 minutes per component, which is the key to high-volume CFRP production. The manufacturing process chain was implemented at industrial scale with integrated monitoring.

Who owns the IP and how can I license this technology?

The consortium is led by Fraunhofer, a German applied research organization, with 3 industry partners and 1 university across Germany, Austria, and Italy. Licensing discussions would start with Fraunhofer and the industrial partners. Bentley and Huntsman were on the Industrial Exploitation Board, indicating existing commercial relationships.

Has this been safety-certified for road use?

The project included a full testing and validation phase covering comprehensive product homologation to meet TUV regulations and OEM requirements. Deliverable D3.4 specifically covers manufactured prototypes for homologation testing and validation.

How long to get from pilot to my production line?

The project ran from 2016 to 2018 and predicted a commercially-available product within one year after project end. The technology moved from TRL 6+ to TRL 8+ or 9 during the project. The preforming molds and HP-RTM molds were manufactured and operational at Fraunhofer ICT.

What equipment do I need to adopt this process?

The process requires a PreformCenter for automated preforming and HP-RTM (High-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding) equipment. Both the preforming mold and HP-RTM mold were designed, manufactured, and taken into operation at Fraunhofer ICT during the project. The process chain includes an integrated monitoring system.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a tight, industry-driven consortium of 5 partners across Germany, Austria, and Italy — 60% of them from industry, which signals real commercial intent rather than an academic exercise. Fraunhofer, one of Europe's largest applied research organizations, leads the project and provides the manufacturing infrastructure. With only 1 SME and 3 industrial partners, plus an Industrial Exploitation Board featuring Bentley (a premium OEM) and Huntsman (a major materials supplier), this consortium was clearly built to take a product to market, not just publish papers. The Innovation Action funding type confirms this is late-stage commercialization work.

ALPEX IMMOBILIEN GMBHparticipant · AT
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Fraunhofer ICT in Germany led this project. Contact their composite technology division for licensing and technology transfer inquiries.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the CARIM team for licensing the automated carbon wheel manufacturing process? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right people at Fraunhofer and their industrial partners.

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