Paolo Feraboli

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Paolo Feraboli
Feraboli in 2016
Born (1976-09-20) 20 September 1976 (age 47)
Bologna, Italy
NationalityItalian
American
Alma materUniversity of Bologna (M.E., 2002)
University of California at Santa Barbara (Ph.D., 2005)
Occupation(s)CTO of Gemini Composites, LLC
Known forForged Composite
Lamborghini Lab

Paolo Feraboli (born September 20, 1976) is a carbon fiber technology inventor and businessman. He is the founder and CTO of Gemini Composites, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber and Composites, and founder and former Director of the Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory (ACSL). He is known for having invented the Forged Composite technology, and his contributions to the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento and Aventador programs.

Life[edit]

Paolo Feraboli was born and grew up in Bologna, Italy. He graduated in mechanical engineering at the University of Bologna in 2002 with a Master's thesis on turbulent heat transfer.[1] He received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005 with a dissertation on impact of carbon fiber composite structures under the guidance of Professor Keith T. Kedward. Among his mentors during his doctoral studies were composite pioneers such as John Halpin of Air Force Research Laboratory,[2] and Larry Ilcewicz of the Federal Aviation Administration.[3][4]

Career[edit]

Lamborghini[edit]

The relationship between Feraboli and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. started in 2001–2002 with an internship at the Esperienza Compositi (R&D composites division) at the headquarters in Sant'Agata Bolognese.[5][6] Under the supervision of Attilio Masini, Andrea Bonfatti, and Maurizio Reggiani, Feraboli worked on the development of the Murciélago and Murciélago Roadster carbon fiber components in the body and chassis.[7][8][9]

After years of study and research in the United States, Lamborghini engaged Feraboli in 2007 to spearhead the development of new carbon fiber technologies as well as monocoque and chassis concepts while he was serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. The successful collaboration led to the formal establishment of the Lamborghini Lab which was located on the UW campus from 2009 until 2013. After inventing Forged Composite technology for Lamborghini, Feraboli left the University in 2014 to focus on its further commercialization for the Italian car manufacturer. In order to do so, he opened a new stand-alone Lamborghini Lab which was to be the only Lamborghini R&D organization outside of the headquarters in Italy. The new facility, inaugurated in 2016, included the Carbon Fiber Technology Gallery and Lamborghini Academy of Carbon Arts & Sciences.[10][11][12]

The legacy of Paolo Feraboli with Lamborghini is notable in the following achievements:

  • Aventador monocoque design and crash certification (homologation) using the aerospace-derived Building Block Approach[13]
  • Aventador liquid resin infusion materials and processes used for the entirely out-of-autoclave monocoque[14]
  • Aventador repair strategy including the "Flying Doctors" for carbon fiber composite repair[15]
  • Sesto Elemento monocoque design, materials, and processes[16]
  • Sesto Elemento Forged Composite suspension arms[17]
  • Aventador Forged Composite connecting rod prototypes[18]
  • The new marbled look of carbon fiber (the so-called "Forged Composite look") introduced first on the Sesto Elemento, then applied to the interior and exterior of the Aventador J, Veneno, Huracan, and Huracan Performante
  • Creation of novel test procedures for chopped carbon fiber composites[19]
  • Pioneering use of 3D printing technology to make both artistic and engineering scale models[20]
  • Highly acclaimed special series of scale models, Collezione Tecnica[21][22]

Aerospace[edit]

Feraboli was introduced to the world of carbon fiber in aerospace by one of the founding fathers of composite technologies, his UCSB doctoral advisor Professor Keith Kedward. Professor Kedward was a fellow of AIAA, fellow of American Society of Composites (ASC), winner of the prestigious AIAA-ASC Starnes Award.[23]

Feraboli's research on aircraft foreign object damage (FOD) brought him to the NASA Langley Research Center in 2004–2005. There he conducted experiments and analysis on impact damage on carbon fiber structures for the blended wing body project, along with other projects in the Mechanics and Durability branch.[24]

In 2005, Feraboli was hired by the University of Washington to expand the recently established Boeing/FAA Center of Excellence for composites research, guided by the FAA Chief Scientist for Composites Dr. Larry Ilcewicz.[25] In his new laboratory, Feraboli pioneered the first research in the public domain in chopped carbon fiber technology for commercial transport aircraft,[2][26][27][28][29] lightning strike damage on composites,[30][31][32] and composite crashworthiness.[33][34][35][36][37] Because of his contributions in these fields, he received awards from the Japan Society for Composite Materials (JSCM),[38] American Society for Composites (ASC),[39] and MIL-17.[40]

While a professor at UW, Feraboli also worked in the Boeing 787 Technology Integration team in Everett, WA under Dr. Alan Miller and Dr. Patrick Stickler. Within this group, he conducted a critical review of all 787 composite analysis methods, including in-house tools and external software, and acted as the liaison with the Structural Methods and Allowables group, under William Sheridan.[41]

Feraboli is the founder and former chairman (2004-2012) of the Working Group on Composite Crashworthiness of the CMH-17 (formerly MIL-HDBK-17), the long established DoD/DoT organization aimed at providing recommendations on the use of composite materials.

Ever since his Boeing and FAA experience, Feraboli has been a strong advocate for the Building Block Approach, also known as Certification by Analysis supported by test evidence. He has often spoken publicly to caution on the use of so-called predictive analysis tools for composites, especially in the area of crashworthiness.[42]

Gemini Composites, LLC[edit]

In 2012 Feraboli incorporated a design and engineering firm called Gemini Composites, which focused on the commercialization of Forged Composite technology. Such breakthrough technology requires specific know-how in material, process, and design alike, and Gemini offered these services for OEMs worldwide and across multiple industries.

At Gemini, Feraboli assisted OEMs in the development of several consumer goods, including:

  • The Callaway Golf Diablo Octane and Razr Hawk golf club heads[43]
  • The Union Binding Company FC and Ultra snowboard bindings,[44] which won the prestigious 2014 ISPO Product of the year award[45]
  • Several global and regional patents for mountain bikes and lacrosse heads[46]

Gemini Composites supported several other OEMs in developmental and research projects, including Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Toyota, Ducati, Volvo, Honda North America, and Nike.

In March 2017, Gemini Composites was acquired by Mitsubishi Rayon Co. (now Mitsubishi Chemical),[47] to expand the use of Forged Composite technology under the new name Forged Molding Compound (FMC).[48]

In 2017, Toyota introduced a version of Forged Composite technology in the production of the Prius prime (PHV).[49] The inner structure of the rear hatch is the first carbon fiber component used in a mass-produced vehicle thanks to the unique benefits of the new FMC technology.[50] Mitsubishi Chemical, supplier of the Prius FMC material, is now the world's largest producer of Forged composite raw material worldwide.[51]

While at Gemini, under the new MCC ownership, Dr. Feraboli trademarked the name Forged Molding Compound, or FMC, to indicate the commercial name of the CFSMC marketed by MCC.[52] The name uniquely identifies the MCC material as opposed to the Forged Composite, trademarked by Automobili Lamborghini SpA, and the more generic Forged Carbon, which is not trademarked and is used by many enterprises such as Union Binding Company.

Between 2017 and 2021, Dr. Feraboli supported Mitsubishi Chemical by leading the Global Engineering team, which was spread between Japan, USA, and Europe, and was tasked with the development of material property data and FEA analysis method generation for carbon fiber technology.[53]

The last development projects Dr. Feraboli brought to life while at Gemini were presented at the JEC show of May 2022 in Paris, France. These included the automotive FMC suspension arm,[54] which was innovatively engineered to meet and exceed the performance, weight and cost targets of the production forged aluminum wishbone arm. The design and fabrication process were patented[55] and showcased also at the automotive SPE conference in April 2021.[56] Finally, the rear subframe of the Ducati Hypermotard, which was developed in 2017-2019, was designed to be used as a 1-to-1 FMC replacement for the cast aluminum production part, and met all durability requirements with minimal re-engineering.[57]

Present[edit]

After the completion of the technology transfer from Gemini to MCC, Dr. Feraboli exited the company to join Rivian Automotive in September 2021, as Sr. Lead engineer in the Prototypes and Special Projects division. Shortly after, Rivian launched the production of the R1T electric adventure truck and became listed on the Nasdaq market, the 5th largest IPO in the US history.[58] In August 2022 Dr. Feraboli joined the Advanced Development Projects division at Blue Origin, which develops projects such as the Orbital Reef and Human Landing System, as Director of Mechanical, Material and Structural Engineering.

Awards[edit]

For his contributions in the field of carbon fiber composites, Paolo Feraboli has received awards from the American Society for Composites,[39][59] the Japan Society for Composite Materials,[38] and the MIL-HDBK-17.[60] He also holds an honorary research professor position at the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan.[61]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Fabbri, Gianpietro (2001). "Analysis of turbulent heat transfer from sinusoidal profile finned dissipators". Heat and Mass Transfer. 38 (1–2): 123–128. Bibcode:2001HMT....38..123F. doi:10.1007/s002310100241. S2CID 120708496.
  2. ^ a b Feraboli, Paolo; Halpin, John (2009). "Notched behavior of prepreg-based discontinuous carbon fiber/epoxy systems" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 40 (3): 289–299. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2008.12.012.
  3. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Wade, Bonnie (September 2013). "Crushing Behavior of a Composite Corrugated Specimen Representative of an Aircraft Subfloor: Experiment and Simulation" (PDF). FAA Technical Report. DOT/FAA/AR-11/21.
  4. ^ Wade, Bonnie; Feraboli, Paolo (February 2015). "Simulating Laminated Composite Materials Using LS-DYNA Material Model MAT54: Single-element Investigation" (PDF). FAA Technical Report. DOT/FAA/TC-14/19.
  5. ^ Sherman, Don (22 June 2016). "Lamborghini is Forging Ahead with Forged Carbon Fiber; We visit their U.S.-based Lab". Car and Driver. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  6. ^ Taylor, Michael (January 2010). "Attilio Masini: Lamborghini Carbon Fibre Man" (PDF). Lamborghini Magazine. No. 7. pp. 30–34.
  7. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Masini, Attilio (2004). "Development of carbon/epoxy structural components for a high performance vehicle" (PDF). Composites (Part B). 35 (4): 323–330. doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2003.11.010.
  8. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Masini, Attilio (2007). "Advanced composites for the body and chassis of a production high performance car" (PDF). International Journal of Vehicle Design. 44 (3/4): 233–246. doi:10.1504/IJVD.2007.013641.
  9. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Masini, Attilio (2007). "Integrated Development of CFRP Structures for a Topless High Performance Vehicle" (PDF). Composite Structures. 78 (4): 495–506. doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2005.11.011.
  10. ^ Cipalla, Rita. "Italian luxury-car company Lamborghini opens Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory in Seattle on June 20,2016". Historylink.org. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  11. ^ Bassett, Abigail (30 June 2016). "Behind the Scenes at Lamborghini's Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory". Automobile Magazine. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  12. ^ Dudley, Brier (15 February 2015). "Seattle Lamborghini museum shows spread of our innovation". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  13. ^ Feraboli, Paolo (2010). "Predictive modeling of an energy-absorbing sandwich structural concept using the building block approach" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 41 (6): 774–786. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.02.012. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  14. ^ ASME. "Lamborghini Advancing the Research in Structural Materials". Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  15. ^ Vijayenthiran, Viknesh. "Lamborghini Flying Doctor to come to the Rescue of Damaged Aventadors". Motor Authority. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  16. ^ Gardiner, Ginger. "Sixth Element: Lamborghini accelerates CFRP". Composites World. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  17. ^ Gasco, Federico (2011). "Lamborghini "Forged Composite" Technology for the Suspension Arms of the Sesto Elemento" (PDF). American Society of Composites 26th Technical Conference Proceedings (Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  18. ^ Sherman, Don (22 June 2016). "Lamborghini is Forging Ahead with Forged Carbon Fiber; We Visit their U.S.-based Lab". Car and Driver. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  19. ^ "To test tomorrow's composite materials & products" (PDF). Instron. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  20. ^ "The New Era of Additive Manufacturing" (PDF). Stratasys. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Collezione Technica". MR Collection. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  22. ^ "MR Models at the new ACSL Lamborghini Laboratory in Seattle". MR Models. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  23. ^ "Professor Keith Kedward wins Prestigious AIAA-ASC Starnes Award in Structural Mechanics". 13 July 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  24. ^ Ambur, Damodar; Feraboli, Paolo (2005). "Scaling the Non-linear Impact Response of Flat and Curved Composite Panels" (PDF). NASA Technical Report. 20050203676.
  25. ^ "The Joint Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  26. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Peitso, Elof; Stickler, Patrick (2009). "Characterization of Prepreg-Based Discontinuous Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Systems" (PDF). Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites. 28 (10): 1191. doi:10.1177/0731684408088883. S2CID 53490143. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  27. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Peitso, Elof; Stickler, Patrick (2009). "Modulus Measurement for Prepreg-based Discontinuous Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Systems" (PDF). Journal of Composite Materials. 43 (19): 1947. Bibcode:2009JCoMa..43.1947F. doi:10.1177/0021998309343028. S2CID 55711352. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  28. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Cleveland, Tyler; Stickler, Patrick; Halpin, John (2010). "Stochastic laminate analogy for simulating the variability in modulus of discontinuous composite materials" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 41 (4): 557–570. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.01.003. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  29. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Cleveland, Tyler; Ciccu, Marco; Stickler, Patrick (2010). "Defect and damage analysis of advanced discontinuous carbon/epoxy composite materials" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 41 (7): 888–901. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.03.002. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  30. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Miller, Mark (2009). "Damage resistance and tolerance of carbon/epoxy composite coupons subjected to simulated lightning strike" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 40 (6–7): 954–967. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.04.025. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  31. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Kawakami, Hirohide (2010). "Damage of Carbon/Epoxy Composite Plates Subjected to Mechanical Impact and Simulated Lightning" (PDF). Journal of Aircraft. 47 (3): 999. doi:10.2514/1.46486. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  32. ^ Kawakami, Hirohide; Feraboli, Paolo (2011). "Lightning strike damage resistance and tolerance of scarf-repaired mesh-protected carbon fiber composites" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 42 (9): 1247–1262. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2011.05.007. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  33. ^ Feraboli, Paolo (2008). "Development of a Corrugated Test Specimen for Composite Materials Energy Absorption" (PDF). Journal of Composite Materials. 42 (3): 229. Bibcode:2008JCoMa..42..229F. doi:10.1177/0021998307086202. S2CID 59492619. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  34. ^ Feraboli, Paolo (2009). "Development of a Modified Flat-plate Test Specimen and Fixture for Composite Materials Crush Energy Absorption" (PDF). Journal of Composite Materials. 43 (19): 1967. Bibcode:2009JCoMa..43.1967F. doi:10.1177/0021998309343025. S2CID 137534040. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  35. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Wade, Bonnie; Deleo, Francesco; Rassaian, Mostafa (2009). "Crush energy absorption of composite channel section specimens" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 40 (8): 1248–1256. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.05.021. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  36. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Deleo, Francesco; Wade, Bonnie; Rassaian, Mostafa (2010). "Predictive modeling of an energy-absorbing sandwich structural concept using the building block approach" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 41 (6): 774–786. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.02.012. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  37. ^ Feraboli, Paolo; Wade, Bonnie; Deleo, Francesco; Rassaian, Mostafa (2011). "LS-DYNA MAT54 modeling of the axial crushing of a composite tape sinusoidal specimen" (PDF). Composites: Part A. 42 (11): 1809–1825. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2011.08.004. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Automobili Lamborghini ACSL established a laboratory at NITech". Nagoya Institute of Technology. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  39. ^ a b "Award Winners". American Society for Composites. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  40. ^ "CMH-17 Awards AA March 2009". CMH-17. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  41. ^ Evans, Jon (September 2015). "Supercars in Seattle". Plastics Engineering. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  42. ^ Feraboli, Paolo (August 2009). "Composite Materials Strength Determination Within the Current Certification Methodology for Aircraft Structures" (PDF). Journal of Aircraft. 46 (4): 1365–1374. doi:10.2514/1.41286.
  43. ^ "Callaway Diablo Octane: Forging the latest driver revolution". Bellingham Golfer. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  44. ^ "A Union Exclusive Material". Union. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  45. ^ "Union Forged FC binding recognized by ISPO as Product of the Year". Snowboarder. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  46. ^ "Composite bicycle frame and method of manufacturing same". Justia Patents. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  47. ^ "Mitsubishi Rayon Co. acquires Gemini Composites". JEC Composites. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  48. ^ "Forged Molding Compound trademark details". Justia trademarks. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  49. ^ Moore, Stephen (3 April 2017). "SMC adopted for rear door frame of Toyota's new Prius PHV". Plastics Today. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  50. ^ Milberg, Evan. "Prius Prime features Toyota's first carbon fiber composite rear hatch". Composites Manufacturing. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  51. ^ "Toyota using Mitsubishi Rayon's carbon fiber SMC for hatch door frame of new Prius PHV". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  52. ^ "Forged Molding Compound trademark details". JUSTIA Trademarks. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  53. ^ "Powerful lightweight solutions from Mitsubishi Chemical at JEC World 2020". European Plastic Product Manufacturer. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  54. ^ "Forged Molding Compound extending SMC capabilities". Composites World. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  55. ^ "A compression-tension component for connecting mechanical parts". United States Patent Office. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  56. ^ "Forged Molding Compound Mitsubishi Chemical SPE" (PDF). SPE Automotive. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  57. ^ "Ducati introduces lightweight motorcycle seat support rear frame". Composites World. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  58. ^ "Factbox: The biggest US IPOs of all time". Reuters. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  59. ^ "ASC Elsevier Young Composites Researcher Award Winners". Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  60. ^ "CMH-17 Awards AA March 2009". CMH-17. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  61. ^ "Aichi, Global Leading Cluster for Advanced Materials". EU-Japan News. No. 2 VOL 12. June 2014. p. 10.

External links[edit]

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