Ready-to-Ship Composites
Published

Teijin Aramid, OMP Racing composite Formula E racing suit raises the bar for protective performance

Ultra-light meta-aramid fiber garment maximizes both the safety and comfort of the Envision Virgin Racing Formula E team, harnessing flameproof, flexible and high-performance qualities.

Share

Teijin Aramid ultra-light Formula E suit.

Photo Credit: Teijin Aramid BV

Aramid fiber producer Teijin Aramid BV (Arnhem, Netherlands) has helped engineer a new protective motor racing suit that will be worn for the first time at the Berlin Formula E ‘E-Prix’ on Aug. 14, an annual race of the single-seater, electrically powered Formula E championship. According to the company, the ultra-light suit harnesses the protective qualities of Teijinconex neo, a high heat-resistant and dyeable meta-aramid fiber, to provide professional racing drivers with outstanding levels of comfort, protection and safety. Teijin Aramid claims that this is the world's first use of Teijinconex neo for professional motor racing.

“This innovative lightweight racing suit shows how effective research and development collaborations can enable dynamic breakthroughs in protective clothing,” says Daisuke Ozaki, director of research & technology at Teijin Aramid. “Our close partnership with OMP has brought together the technologies and innovative capabilities of both companies. Together, we are harnessing the high-performance properties of our aramids to drive safety and performance in professional motor racing.”

The professional racing suit is the latest product to emerge from Teijin Aramid’s longstanding collaboration with OMP Racing (Genoa, Italy), a premium motorsport safety equipment producer. The new suit has been custom-made for Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team (EVR), one of 12 teams competing in the Formula E World Championship, and will be worn by Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team drivers Robin Frijns and Nick Cassidy. Like OMP Racing, Teijin Aramid says it has close links to Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team, with Teijin Group beginning a multi-year sponsorship contract with the Formula E team in 2020.

The suit contains innovative features designed to maximize both the safety and comfort of drivers during competition. The outer layer of the garment consists of an ultra-light fabric made with Teijinconex fibers. In addition to being flameproof, Teijinconex resists temperatures of up to 400°C (750°F) and does not burn or melt when exposed to extreme heat. Because of these superior protective qualities, the suit contains just two layers, one less than most standard racing suits. This allows the wearer greater flexibility and a more tailored, comfortable fit. The suit is also up to 10% lighter than the previous racing wear worn by the Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team, further enabling the movement and performance of drivers.

Teijinconex neo, a new type of meta-aramid developed in 2015, also offers excellent dyeability as well as the original Teijinconex properties Teijin Aramid says, enabling Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team to explore vibrant colors and designs for its suits. Furthermore, because the material is produced in line with leading chemical industry environmental standards, including REACH, it aligns with the Formula E team’s strong sustainability ethos, including Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team’s Race Against Climate Change campaign.   

“By incorporating Teijinconex neo aramid fibers into the suit design, we are putting down a marker for comfort, lightness, flexibility and color options in protective racing wear,” notes Otto Pomiano, research & development consultant at OMP. “This innovative design will hopefully help Envision Virgin Racing’s drivers reach new levels of performance on the track. But, of course, our top priority remains driver safety, and the new suit has been rigorously tested in line with Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile [FIA] standards.”

Composites One
Toray public database prepreg materials
Custom Quantity Composite Repair Materials
Toray Advanced Composites
BARRDAY PREPREG
3D industrial laser projection
performance composite reinforcements
Renegade Material Composites
Harper International Carbon Fiber
NewStar Adhesives - Nautical Adhesives
HEATCON Composite Systems
CW Tech Days Sustainability - Register Today!

Related Content

Natural Fibers

Drawing design cues from nature: Designing for biomimetic composites, Part 2

As biomimetic design continues to inform composites manufacturing, technologies like 3D printing, tailored fiber placement, braiding and filament winding prove strong candidates for making these structures a reality.  

Read More
Automotive

BMW unveils new M4 GT4 race car, features most natural fiber parts for GT series to date

Bcomp ampliTex and powerRibs technologies make up bodywork components such as the hood, front splitter, doors, trunk and rear wing and several interior components, taking next steps for future production models.  

Read More

Robotized system makes overmolding mobile, flexible

Anybrid’s ROBIN demonstrates inline/offline functionalization of profiles, 3D-printed panels and bio-based materials for more efficient, sustainable composite parts.

Read More
Automotive

Lingrove plant-based ekoa composite featured in Hyundai Palisade concept vehicle

Carbon-neutral biocomposite enables interactive doorspear with look and feel of wood while protecting trees, enabling transparency and capacitive touch for futuretech.

Read More

Read Next

Electric Vehicles

DuPont, Nissan e.dams Formula E team partner for advanced automotive electrification

Technical partnership will act as a testbed to explore and accelerate new technologies for safer, more advanced electric vehicles in motorsport, and for future commercial applications.

Read More
Design/Simulation

Teijin Aramid program produces bio-based, high-performance aramid fibers

The 2018 pilot program, in partnership with BioBTW, successfully produces Twaron yarn from bio-based aromatic materials without altering the material properties. 

Read More
Thermoplastics

From the CW Archives: The tale of the thermoplastic cryotank

In 2006, guest columnist Bob Hartunian related the story of his efforts two decades prior, while at McDonnell Douglas, to develop a thermoplastic composite crytank for hydrogen storage. He learned a lot of lessons.

Read More
Ready-to-Ship Composites