New Audi Space Frame: this is the body of the new Audi A8

The current generation of the Audi A8 is counting down the days left on the market, while we keep telling you about all the new features it will incorporate as the flagship of the brand with the four rings. For example, we have already talked about the virtual technology it will have, which we already saw in prototypes such as the Audi E-tron Quattro Concept.

Today we will talk about the main element of the Audi A8, its new body called Audi Space Frame. For the brand’s most devoted fans this term will sound familiar, but those who don’t may want to recall that the Audi Space Frame body began its journey back in 1994, when the first generation of the Audi A8 introduced the also first generation of this aluminium body, which became a benchmark in the industry.

Taking this design principle as a reference, Audi has already manufactured more than one million vehicles, but over the years the technology has evolved, leading to the body that will be fitted to the new generation of the Audi A8. This new body combines the use of several materials: aluminium, steel, magnesium and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP).

The most important component of the body is the high-strength rear panel, as it is responsible for 33% of the torsional rigidity of the Audi A8. So that this panel can absorb all the loads and forces it is subjected to, its manufacture uses between 6 and 19 individual fibre layers made of 50 mm tapes. This allows the layers to be placed at any angle and then covered with epoxy resin, resulting in a much faster and more efficient manufacturing process.

For the structure of the passenger cell, which comprises the lower section of the front bulkhead, the side sills, the B-pillars and the front section of the roof, steel has been used. Sheet metal of different thicknesses, or heat treatment for some of these elements, has also been employed, which translates into greater lightness and strength in critical areas.

The aluminium components make up the largest part of the Audi A8 body, in fact 58%, and give shape to the distinctive Audi Space Frame design. Advances in this area have improved tensile strength values, significantly improving on the still current ones. Finally, the reinforcement beam made of magnesium is now 28% lighter than its predecessor.

But behind all this progress in body construction, Audi has had to upgrade its facilities in Neckarsulm. To house this efficient production process, which uses up to 14 joining and assembly methods, they have had to build a new facility up to 41 metres high, for which 14,400 metric tonnes of steel were needed. To give you an idea, this is twice the amount used to build the Eiffel Tower.

Source | Audi