L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano On a quiet street not far from d o w n t o w n S e a t t l e , t u c k e d between overgrown fields and train tracks, are several drab- brown buildings with white roll- u p d o o r s . T h e i r n o n d e s c r i p t l o c a t i o n b e l i e s t h e f a c t t h a t some of the world's most revo- lutionary research in automotive materials is going on inside. The Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory, headed by Dr. Paolo Feraboli, opened in Seattle in 2 0 0 7 . L a s t m o n t h , t h e l a b launched a small technology a n d e n g i n e e r i n g m u s e u m , showcasing Lamborghini's pio- neering efforts in carbon fiber and composite materials. S i n c e 1 9 6 3 , L a m b o r g h i n i automobiles have topped the list when it comes to ultralight, ultrafast, ultracool sports cars. Lamborghini owners comprise a "who's who" of the world's rich and famous. Frank Sinatra, who once owned a 1969 orange Lamborghini Miura, was once quoted as saying, "You buy a Ferrari when you want to be s o m e b o d y . Y o u b u y a L a m b o r g h i n i w h e n y o u a r e somebody." In the early 1980s, the com- pany wanted to increase the amount of carbon fiber used in its vehicles. It was drawn to S e a t t l e b e c a u s e t h e B o e i n g Company was headquartered there. Lamborghini representa- tives visited the aircraft giant where they convinced Boeing e n g i n e e r R o s a r i o V i z z i n i t o h e l p , " p e r s u a d i n g h i m w i t h tales of good food and wine," joked Feraboli. M o r e t h a n t w e n t y y e a r s later, the company returned to S e a t t l e t o p a r t n e r w i t h t h e University of Washington in the c r e a t i o n o f t h e A d v a n c e d C o m p o s i t e S t r u c t u r e s Laboratory with Feraboli—at the time, a UW aeronautical engineering professor—at the helm. Feraboli was ideally posi- tioned to lead the lab. Early in his career, he had worked for Lamborghini in Italy, where he h e l p e d d e v e l o p c o m p o s i t e structures for the Murciélago Roadster and secured crash- safety certification for an all- carbon composite vehicle door. H e h a d b e e n a v i s i t i n g researcher at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia and had published extensively on composite structures design. The research lab was located on the UW campus until 2014 w h e n i t m o v e d t o S e a t t l e ' s Interbay district and became a s t a n d - a l o n e e n t e r p r i s e . I t s r e s e a r c h t e a m c o n t i n u e s t o work on uncovering and testing solutions around damage toler- ance, certification and crash- worthiness, in close collabora- t i o n w i t h L a m b o r g h i n i ' s research center in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. "We do a lot of materials testing, thermal and imaging work, ultrasonic inspection," said Feraboli. "When we think we have something to share, we send it to Lamborghini in Italy where they make a full-scale model. At that point, the testing usually lasts about two years before it goes into production." At the museum, visitors learn about the history of carbon fiber and how composite materials have improved over the years. T h e r e a r e d o z e n s o f Lamborghini carbon fiber parts hanging on walls and suspended from the ceiling, including the very first Countach engine hood and various Murciélago body panels. But the real attractions are the Lamborghini vehicles on display. During the May tour, visitors one by one climbed into the chassis of a Sesto Elemento ( " I t s n a m e m e a n s s i x t h e l e - ment," explained Feraboli, "a reference to carbon's atomic number.") The Sesto pioneered the use of forged composites, a technology created in Seattle. By replacing as many compo- nents as possible with carbon fiber, vehicle weight dropped by about 25 percent and emis- sions decreased by about half. The Sesto on display had been used for road tests. The second Lamborghini on e x h i b i t , a g l e a m i n g w h i t e Gallardo, sporting red and green racing stripes, is also a visitor draw. The car is dramatically lit and positioned under the raging bull logo known worldwide to f a n s o f A u t o m o b i l i Lamborghini. The museum also has a sec- tion devoted to advanced com- posite materials used in other applications, ranging from a Boeing 787 to snowboard bind- ings to golf clubs. There's even space-age carbon fiber dinner- ware on display, including a tray, bowl and platter—the per- fect complement for a special aperitivo! If you go: The museum is open for tours one Saturday a month. The next tour date is July 18. Maximum number of p e o p l e p e r t o u r i s 1 2 . Reservations and advance pay- ment online are required. For more information: www.lambo- lab.org. Paolo Feraboli. Photo credit Advanced Composite Structures Lab Se at t le dr ive s st at e - o f- t he - ar t Lam bo r ghini research to new heights RITA CIPALLA Feraboli (left) giving tour. Photo credit Rita Cipalla Lamborghini vehicle on display. Photo credit Rita Cipalla

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