McLaren MP4-12C

Lewis Hamilton
This is BBC How to Build a Supercar episode.
Unprecedented access to Britain's most famous and secretive formula one team. This episode involved several top secret processes which didn't allow to be filmed in the video.


3D Exploded Views

Using 50 years of race experience and top secret F1 Technology. Formula One has the most technically-advanced gadgets. You know, it is like NASA of motorsport.

With this venture costing almost £800 million. The stakes are high. I think NASA would compare themselves to us, to be honest.

Mclaren Mercedes - Formula one An incredible environment in which to take on the world.
Every detail is thoroughly though through.

Built in a special production right next door to the company's Formula One car.

See the baby sort of being developed.

This is almost as if it's in the womb in the mother.



Chassis

Biax Fiber

On the one side, you have fiber running that way

On the other side, you have fiber running another way. That's held together by the stitching.

By layering this up in different way by using Biax and Triax material. We can orientate the strength in the direction that we want it without additional weight.

Pieces of carbon fiber are layered until they form the correct shape. It's where we actually combine the carbon fiber preform with the resin that will hold the whole lot together and form the carbon Monocell. Three different ares of this system.

Preform loading section.

Transfer system. Take the tool from the area into the press.

Resin Injection System. Inject the resin into the mold under intense pressure.





Body Assembly

3D Body Tub

The first thing added to the tub is the crash structures. Help absorb energy in the event of the impact.

Each car is hand-built and assembled by a team of engineers.

Put the bolts in and tighten them up.

Make sure they're all in the right position.

Many of body parts are made form a special lightweight plastic material.

Using the extremely strong adhesive. This allows them to bond plastic, carbon fiber, and aluminium together. This is the same bonding technique used in the aircraft and space industries.

Chassis. Refer to "Bugatti Veyron" .

The car is moved from jig to jig.

Rear body upper structure is attached.

The side panels which attach to the lower side of the car.

Side Panels

Side Panels

The roof tops the list.
The body is complete.

CMM (Coordinate Measure Machine)
Measure 365 points to make sure everything is in place to within thousandths of a millimeter.
The process time within body assembly, fro getting the carbon fiber tub to a completed monocell
and to CMM is a total 495 minutes.

Make sure every part of the car is flat. Everything that can contaminate the paint, no matte how small it is, will contaminate it.

This is called paint kitchen.

Reproduce any color that you could ever image.

Anti-Static Gun.
We pass it over the vehicle and it takes away the static electricity.
**Does the car body need the Anti-Corrosion Process (E-Coating) ?

Paint

Hawkeye.

Once painted, the car is ready for the rest of the assembly process.

Wiring Loom installation.

It's just a bit hard to move, get into the place.

For McLaren to succeed with their ambitious plan.

Steer Brake. Compare to Torque Vectoring
Using the steer brake allowing it to follow the inner line, holding the apex of the corner and
killing any understeer.

By taking into account the speed and steering angle, the computer works out the correct trajectory. Located in front luggage compartment.It sends a signal to the inside rear brake when cornering, allow the car effectively pointed around the desired path.

Brake Disc

Wheel Hub

Bolt it up. EPB (Electronic Parking Brake)

Wheel Hub

Disc Brake

Install Disc Brake on the wheel hub

Push the fluid round the system and then that will push the pistons closed, which will clamp two pads on the disc.

What 's the function of the black caliper ??  (EPB) Just make the holes are lines up with the disc before you start putting the bolts in.

V8 is basically two-four stroke engines and bolted it together with a single crank.

Rev Up !!

Intake: A vacuum is created.

The cam pushed the intake valve to open. Note that the left camshaft.

Compression: All valves close, allowing the pistons to compress the air and fuel mixture.
Ready for ignition by the spark plug.

Power: The explosion forced the piston down, transfer its energy to the crankshaft.
Power the graebox, wheels.

Exhaust

Turn these blocks of aluminium "called the billets" into pistons.

The lubricant is graphite-based lube.

The billet is first heated to 460 degrees C to make the alloy malleable enough  to be forged.

Paint the graphite-based lube on the billet which stops everything from sticking onto the tool.

The hydraulic forge press has squeezed up with the equivalent on the preheat aluminium billet,
creating the basic shape of the piston. Compare to Alcoa forged the wheel of Lamborghini. 
Basically, it is the same principle.

Quick visual check everything is OK!!

The pistons are dropped into the secret solution, as they cool would increase strength.

Acid to remove the graphite lubricant. Place in the acid for four minutes and washed off.

The left is after acid. This right is not.

Push into the oven.

CNC Machine to post-process.

Note that the video jumped over several steps of pistons manufacturing.
Piston Ring: Compression Ring and Oil Ring Wrist Pin Hole

The cylinder is the engine liner.

Ricardo Engine.  "Harry Ricardo"

Push the piston into the cylinder.

Vroom!! Vroom!!
Japanese car is pretty quiet.
British' people definitely like a bit more exhaust sound.
Americans tend to like a burly V8 engine sound.
Italians tend to be a bit kind of shiny, pointy shoes.
German

Exhaust Sound Simulation.

Test and design the physical car sound !
The turbo-charger cuts down a lot of the sound that comes out of exhaust pipes, which isn't good for a sports car. We want to have as much noise as we can come out and tune to a nice sound.

Suspension !!!!!!

At each corner of it, there are independent springs and hydraulic dampers.

Fluid filled with chambers are linked to each other. As high pressure meets high pressure under roll the chassis stiffens.

But to have a comfortable ride on badly-maintained road, hydraulic lines connect the front and back, allowing each wheel to operate independently.

Prototype Car. Engine Kill and Battery Kill ~

Install Engine

Install Engine

The McLaren Assembly Plant is extremely special and spectacular. So Enjoy. No More Words. !!!!!! Just Open Your Eyes !!!!!!





The Engineers will be very proud of working in this assembly.





Passion !! Ambition !! Perfection !! Stickler !!




[Highlights]
Car Body
Pistons Manufacturing

[Questions]

The Mclaren assembly plant is extremely clear and pretty surreal which
seen in the fictional movie. Fantastic !!!!!!
I think I should watch more those episodes as much as possible, that would be
useful and  truly know what the real world is.