From the very first phone call, our client had a clear end goal in mind and their brief was simple; produce a kit car better than any other on the market. 

Our client had wanted to purchase an Ariel Atom, but with a current lead time of 2 – 3 years, they decided to take matters into their own hands. They were going to design and manufacture their own. 

When they initially approached us, they were looking for a company with expertise in producing master patterns and moulds. During this initial consultation period, we discussed in great detail the design and requirements of the product and it became apparent that this would be a turn-key project for us. Our capabilities were clear and with our extensive experience in producing composite vehicle body panels along with our ability to bring a design concept to life, our discussions went beyond our client’s initial expectations.  

The project started in the safe hands of our team in the CAD department, where one of our highly skilled engineer pattern makers started to dissect the models, which were split up into five individual pieces.  The client had expressed that they were unsure whether this would be a one-of-a-kind project or whether they would share their vision with the world. With this in mind, we had to ensure that we had all bases covered. If the parts were to be commercially produced, the panels would need to have a high gloss finish, so that they could be produced in gelcoat. However, the client chose to have a bespoke spray-painted finish on the first set of panels. 

The master patterns were machined on our 5-axis CNC machine using model board, which was chosen for its quality finish and minimal hand-finishing time. Once the plugs had been machined, they were sprayed with a primer sealer coat before its gloss finish. 

Our team then followed our mould production process, which includes the use of location mould clamps and our mould release system. The quality of these moulds will allow for a coloured gel coat finish should this be required.

Due to the complexity of the parts, the composite vehicle panels were produced from a multi-piece split mould tool. These splits were decided by our engineers once the pattern was finished. It is part of our best practice to decide at this stage, as it allows us to better assess the way in which the mould will be assembled.

Working with our experienced laminators, templates for the reinforcement materials were produced in line with the agreed specification and the composite panels were manufactured. 

Lastly, our finishing department prepared the panels to be despatched, giving them their final polish and quality inspection. 

The carefully packaged components were delivered to the client on our own transport. As they unwrapped the first panels, they were immediately impressed by the quality and care taken. Our client went on to say that having been involved with GRP parts and mouldings for many years, these were some of the best parts they had ever seen. It’s fantastic to be able to give positive feedback to all our staff and a true testimony to their attention to detail.