The secrets of NEK seats with carbon inserts - TKART | TKART

INTRODUCTION

The seat is a fundamental component of karts. Not just because it is essential for drivers to physically get behind the wheel, but also because, in a simple and "extreme" vehicle such as a kart, it affects the performance and the behaviour of the vehicle out on the track. Therefore, it is only normal that there should also be careful study, incessant research on materials and the application of modern technologies behind the production of a kart seat. NEK Racing, which is among the leading manufacturers in this field and at the forefront of adopting high quality materials and special solutions, is well aware of this. For example, the addition of carbon fibre inserts in fibreglass seats. The result is a strong, lightweight product that is free of residual stress and deformations, is long-lasting and whose characteristics are consistent in every seat produced. Let's discover the details of its production.

1 COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Fibreglass and carbon, the main elements of NEK’s kart seat, are composite materials, in which various components are combined to create a material with superior physical, mechanical and aesthetic characteristics. Regarding the carbon, NEK uses prepreg, which is carbon fibre that has been industrially pre-impregnated with a specific resin. An advanced lamination system is also used for the fibreglass, which involves impregnating the fibreglass with the resin by vacuum bagging.
Therefore, both the carbon and fibreglass are obtained by more advanced methods than the manual processes of lamination using a brush. Indeed, the manual method cannot guarantee that there will always the same amount of resin per square centimetre and, consequently, cannot ensure the consistency of the mechanical characteristics throughout the unit produced nor from one unit to another. In addition, the manual process often leads to the creation of air bubbles in the resin, generating further weak points that compromise the mechanical strength of the component.

2 MOULDS

In addition to the materials, the moulds are the basis for the production of a seat. They are made of composite material and in a single piece, unlike the moulds used to make floor trays , which use a mould and a counter-mould. The moulds can be placed in either an autoclave or used for impregnation by diffusion. Before positioning the fibreglass sheets, the moulds are coated with a layer of detaching material, which facilitates the separation of the seat once the resin has solidified.

3 SHEETS AND INSERTS

Sheets of fiberglass of specific sizes and direction of the fibers (an aspect that determines the stiffness of the seat in different directions) are placed on the moulds. Special spray liquids are used to ensure that the sheets remain in place and adhere to the mould. On NEK Z2 Modulate seats, the key feature is the use of carbon fibre prepreg elements, which combine with the fibreglass structure. In practice, it is an extremely delicate process, which requires the perfect combination of carbon and fibreglass in order to achieve an optimal final result. NEK Racing jealously guards many aspects of this phase, since the know-how is exclusive to the company.

DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF NEK SEATS WITH CARBON INSERTS