Inside Streamline Carbon – Part 1
On the outskirts of Northampton, in the heartlands of British motorsport lies the home of Streamline Carbon, having established themselves in the performance car scene over the last 5 years supplying components for vehicles taking part in race series through to track days and daily use.
The manufacture and supply of carbon fibre products to the automotive industry is most certainly a growing trend, but not all carbon products are the same. The Streamline Carbon team kindly offered to open their doors and give a behind the scenes look at what happens at their UK facility.
The huge sign on the front of the premises leaves you in no doubt that you have arrived at the right place. Streamline Carbon’s logo is distinctive and has a strong association with high quality, UK manufactured products that take many forms. I am greeted by Mervyn Griffith’s the technical mastermind behind the firm.
Many firms in the industry claim a motorsport heritage, particularly those located in Northamptonshire. The Streamline Carbon link is proudly displayed. Mervyn worked for Williams F1 handcrafting patterns, tools and components during the height of their successes in the 1990s. Photos of Senna, Prost, Hill and Mansell adorn the walls. A technical background in a firm from the pinnacle of racing means that there is vast experience, knowledge and passion invested into every product Streamline produce.
The workshop is divided up into different zones where different elements of the manufacturing process are completed. The ‘clean room’ is where materials are cut from the pre-preg carbon fibre material to accurate workshop templates that have been designed to lay into the tools for both structural and aesthetic benefits. Christine Harwood (currently mentored by Mervyn) lays the material into the moulds, carrying out the initial stages of work to prepare parts for going under vacuum to be cured in the autoclave or high pressure oven.
Mervyn explains that there is a huge range of different pre-preg materials available. The impregnated resins offer different levels of resistance to heat, so those exhaust surrounds are not made out of the same base materials as things like door cards. They also need to be cured at higher temperatures in the oven. The process is clinical and methodical.
This is the first of a three part exclusive look behind the scenes of Streamline Carbon. Look out for part two at Christmas and the final instalment in the New Year.
web site looking very good like the changes have a good xmas nigel