Lightweight Engine Success at Advanced Engineering 2016

Lichfield, Staffordshire: This years’ Advanced Engineering Show brought together a wealth of engineering experts to the NEC in Birmingham on 2/3 November, with fascinating results.

As a world-leading rotary engine developer, AIE (UK) Ltd joined the 700 exhibitors, including Bentley, Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover in showcasing their most innovative and game-changing technologies.

The Future for Lightweight Power Units

 A clear theme that emerged from the event, was the interest in identifying smaller, lighter and stronger technologies, especially for the automotive industry.

AIE’s rotary engines, that are inherently lighter and significantly smaller than conventional engines, provided an ideal solution for a wide range of applications and were subsequently displayed across the exhibition halls in the Automotive Engineering area, the Innovation Centre and for Aero Engineering.

However, it was the lightweight, low-carbon Westfield Sports car with an AIE powertrain that drew the most attention. Visitors were intrigued with the new design and the integrated AIE 650S rotary engine designed for low emissions and high power performance.

As the first British-made sports car to successfully race around a track using a single-rotor rotary engine, the 650S 120bhp engine proved that rotary technology is still alive and well.

The compact 650S Rotary Engine, which was on display in the Innovation Centre, occupies less than 50% of the engine area and a 50% reduction in overall weight from a standard four-cylinder engine – lending itself perfectly to the rising need for smaller, lighter and stronger technologies to suit compact cars and hybrid-electric vehicles.

It wasn’t just the 650S that raised eyebrows at the event. AIE’s super-lightweight 40S power unit for UAVs also proved a popular engine due to its surprisingly small-form, multi-fuel use and patent cooling technology.

Indeed, the Advanced Engineering 2016 event was hugely successful in proving what can be achieved by UK engineers when they innovate together to create better, lighter and cleaner technologies.