Prodrive Composites is supplying carbon fibre composite components to allow bespoke Land Rover specialist Overfinch to significantly increase production.
Prodrive is fully integrated into Overfinch’s supply chain, providing finished, ready-to-fit components matching the company’s demanding build schedule
As well as manufacturing the components, Prodrive Composites worked with Overfinch to design the new conversion packages for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models. Using state-of-the-art scanning techniques, accurate dimensions of the vehicle were used to produce CAD models of the conversion packages. Once the design was finalised, Prodrive prepared the tooling and produced prototype parts to ensure fitment and aesthetics were as expected.
“Prodrive’s expertise in composite manufacture was critical to optimising the design, ensuring that high-quality, A-surface components could be produced consistently,” explained Kevin Sloane, Chairman, Overfinch. “Our partnership with Prodrive has enabled us to significantly increase production and move into new markets. Prodrive collaborates with us on an ongoing basis including design work, product revisions and production. It can deliver fixed volumes each week to match our build order and provide components that are significantly easier to install than those we were using in the past.”
Prodrive utilised a new additive manufacturing technology to produce a backing that accurately secures the mounting bracketry and clips to the carbon components, ensuring it fits directly to the vehicle’s OE fixings. This process has significantly improved ease of fitment and directly reduced the build time per vehicle.
“Often companies like Overfinch request composite parts from suppliers, only to receive pieces that require modification and adjustment to make them fit,” explains Richard Gregory, Quality and Engineering Director, Prodrive Composites. “Not only are we able to design and deliver components that fit straight on using the OE fixtures, we are also able to deliver the parts as and when they need them.”
Prodrive is producing both ‘visual’ and painted carbon composite conversion packages. Using its own paint facilities, Prodrive Composites was able to supply Overfinch with completed components, this ensured that regardless of how the car was specified, the composite parts were supplied to match specific vehicles within the build order. The streamlined process has reduced Overfinch’s average build time for a vehicle’s exterior from a week down to a day.
“We sequence delivery and have a dedicated project manager that resolves any queries, concerns or difficulties that arise,” concluded Gregory. “Being able to paint in-house and deliver components to Overfinch’s build schedule is a significant advantage. These factors have led to a strong working relationship between Overfinch and Prodrive Composites and we are excited to continue building this relationship.”
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