The Italian automaker Pagani has been using equipment supplied by Swiss cutting system manufacturer Zünd for more than 15 years, and recently installed a new Zünd G3 L-2500. Composites in Manufacturing reports.
The exclusive supercars made by Italian limited-edition automobile manufacturer, Pagani represent the pinnacle of perfection and are named after the Inca wind god Huayra, and Zonda, a chinook wind in Argentina.
That their names reference winds is no coincidence since the designs of these sports cars are pushing the envelope of aerodynamics. With a chassis made entirely of carbon fibre-based composites, the Pagani Huayra BC weighs in at a scant 1,200kg. This translates into a competition-pulverising power-to-weight ratio of 1.9kg per horsepower. Modified 12-cylinder AMG engines supply the necessary power and at 750hp leave hurricane force winds in their wake on the race track.
In San Cesario sul Panaro near Modena - Italy’s automotive nerve centre and home of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati - Horacio Pagani and his team have spent the past 25 years perfecting their designs. Having worked for Lamborghini, the visionary young engineer quickly became an expert in the making of carbon fibre parts for Ferrari and various Formula 1 teams. In 1992 he established his own manufacturing firm.
For cutting carbon fibre parts, Pagani has for many years relied on innovative Swiss cutting technology from Zünd. A few months ago, the company installed a new Zünd G3 L-2500 cutting system, replacing its older Zünd PN L-2500. The PN machine had been serving the company well for the past 16 years. At the end of 2015, Pagani moved into a modern manufacturing facility, a stone’s throw away from their previous location. The primary goal was to gain more space and optimise individual production steps.
“Our production volume will remain at fewer than 50 cars per year since for us, maintaining exclusivity is far more important than increasing sales,” begins Pagani’s public relations manager, Luca Venturi. “Nevertheless, efficiency, cost savings, and sound investment are considerations that are palpable throughout the company. While the majority of parts that go into a Pagani are painstakingly crafted by hand, cutting with the new Zünd G3 cutter is one of the few phases of production that have undergone complete automation.
Reliable tools for challenging materials
Each Pagani chassis is constructed from precisely 240 carbon-based composite components. The exact combination of carbon fibre that goes into each part is a closely-guarded company secret. Depending on the required stiffness and strength, close to 10 different composites are used. One of these combines titanium and carbon fibre in a composite called Carbotanium, developed and patented by Pagani. It is roughly six times lighter than steel and provides the best strength-to-weight ratio in the automotive industry. Cutting titanium-reinforced carbon fibre is extremely challenging.
For Roberto Malmusi, composite department manager at Pagani, the Zünd Electric Oscillating Tool (EOT) is the perfect tool for this application: “The EOT is extremely versatile, and we actually use it for cutting all types of carbon fibre materials quickly and efficiently.”
Pagani also has a need for processing honeycomb materials. These are cut on the same Zünd G3 machine using the Pneumatic Oscillating Tool (POT), an air-driven tool with an extended 8mm stroke that provides the force needed to reliably and productively process this type of material.
Pagani carbon fibre components are strictly made to order. The state-of-the-art Zünd nesting function ensures that all parts are optimally laid out on the material. The software automatically calculates the best placement of even the most complex cut contours and nests them together as tightly as possible. This automated process significantly reduces the time required for job preparation and setup, and maximises material yield while minimising cut waste.
“Besides the tremendous labour savings, the automated nesting function has also helped us achieve an impressive 20% or more in material savings,” explains Malmusi. “The fact that we were already familiar with the Zünd PN and software was a plus but even so, the layout of the G3 user interface Zünd Cut Centre (ZCC) is very intuitive and makes the system extremely easy to use. Consequently, the time it took for our operator to learn the new system was very short. Because of its open architecture, the G3 was also exceedingly easy to integrate in our existing production workflow.”
Performance at its best
The new Zünd G3 cutting system is perfectly equipped to handle the rigorous demands of processing carbon fibre. The electronics box, for instance, is specially protected against contamination from electrically conductive carbon fibres and the damage they can cause. Some of the tooling, too, was developed specifically for use in applications involving composites, with positive air pressure protecting the mechanical parts of the high performance tools from abrasive dust particles. Pagani's decision to stay with Zünd cutting technology was based not only on clear technical and performance advantages, but other factors played into the decision as well.
To Malmusi, these were equally important: “For years we have maintained a great partnership with Zünd Italy. Zünd has tremendous know-how in processing composite materials and was able to provide highly competent and thorough guidance.”
Malmusi is emphatic when it comes to the productivity of the new Zünd G3: “Compared to the PN machine we replaced, we have seen an increase in productivity of more than 20%,” he concludes. “The performance of the new cutter is truly amazing. There is no doubt in our minds that, with the Zünd G3, we have purchased the most advanced and most productive digital cutting system on the market.”
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