Other News
- BBC Top Gear Reviews Lamborghini Murciélago SuperVeloce
- Zircotec supported Historic Road Sports meeting at Snetterton on 30th May 09
- Zircotec launches new affordable Primary Range ceramic coating
- Results - Zircotec supported Historic Road Sports Meeting at Silverstone
- Lamborghini selects Zircotec coating for its new LP670-4 Murciélago SuperVeloce
- Zircotec to support Historic Road Sports Championship 2009
- F1 Exhibition featuring Zircotec's carbon composite coating opened by Ron Dennis, CEO & Chairman of McLaren Group
- Follow Zircotec on TWITTER
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Zircotec is continually finding new applications for its high temperature coatings, heat barriers and thermal management services. Please find all the latest news about new developments and events that Zircotec is attending...BBC Top Gear Reviews Lamborghini Murciélago SuperVeloce
28th June 2009|
In April this year we announced that Automobili Lamborghini had selected one of Zircotec's high
performance Thermohold® based coatings to help reduce
the weight of its new Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce supercar, and we have since been supplying coated systems to Lamborghini.
Our coating is applied to the car exhaust system to reduces the need for heat shields whilst still allowing heat sensitive lightweight materials to be used in close proximity to the exhaust. The technology also protects other heat sensitive components from damage, and is visible as a black finish on the exhaust at the point where the tailpipe exits the car. |
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Zircotec's coating has helped contribute to an overall weight saving of 100kg over the normal Murciélago, with 33kg of the reduction coming from the new powertrain and exhaust system.
Luca Meschiari, head of
exhausts at Lamborghini commented....
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The new Murciélago SuperVeloce was reviewed by Richard Hammond on the BBC Top Gear programme (Sun. 28th June 2009). The programme shows Hammond test driving the Murciélago in Abu Dhabi before letting The Stig take the car around the Top Gear test track. Commenting specifically on the exhaust system, Richard Hammond says "Just look at that exhaust. If a Toyota Prius came up-behind and saw that it would literally wet it's pants."
We have to agree that the exhaust does look nice; but like Hammond we think the whole car looks fantastic, and we are proud to be working with Automobili Lamborghini on this project.
The BBC Top Gear programme can we watched again on BBC iplayer until 5th July 2009. |
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Zircotec supported Historic Road Sports meeting at Snetterton on 30th May 09
31st May 2009|
Snetterton was the venue for the 4th round of the Zircotec supported HSCC (UK) Road Sports Championship. The event took place over the weekend of 30th - 31st May 2009, and spectators were rewarded with an excellent weekend of sunshine and fantastic racing.
From a starting grid of 23 cars, congratulations go to the winner Simon Crompton in his AC Cobra; Julian Dodd in his TVR Griffith (2nd place); and Andrew Marler in his Lotus Elan (3rd place). Tropies were presented by Zircotec's Managing Director, Terry Graham, pictured sharing the podium with the winners.
Click Here for a full listing of the results. |
Left to right: Julian Dodd (2nd); Terry Graham, MD Zircotec; Simon Crompton (1st); Andrew Marler (3rd)
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Congratulations also go to the 3 people who responded to Zircotec's TWITTER to win 2 tickets each and attended the meeting as guests of Zircotec (make sure you follow Zircotec on TWITTER for news of future events).
The next
meeting of the series will take place as part of the Historic Raceday at Castle Combe on 14th June 2009. |
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Zircotec launches new affordable Primary Range ceramic coating
20th May 2009
Zircotec has developed a new lower cost derivative of its high performance ThermoHold®
based thermal barrier coatings.
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Performance and classic car owners wishing to use plasma sprayed thermal barriers but previously dissuaded by cost now have an option from Zircotec. The firm's new Primary coating offers a twenty five percent exhaust surface temperature reduction and costs thirty percent less than its premium Performance offering.
Customers seeking low cost solutions may have previously chosen ceramic paint finishes which typically offer just a nine percent reduction in surface temperature. Unlike wraps and some paint finishes, the Primary Range coating remains highly durable, and can be specified for applications up to 1400°C, making it ideal for exhaust and turbo systems. |
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Customers wanting better performance and durability than a ceramic paint or exhaust wrap, but who are concerned about cost, now have a quality solution available to them. The new Primary Range is ideal for road performance and classic cars where it will provide a high performing, professional, and long lasting finish.
In developing its Primary Range Zircotec ensured it met the durability and environmental requirements for which its coatings are renowned, with the new range having been through Zircotec full product validation regime. Zircotec is therefore offering a one year warranty for road applications. |
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Initially available in black, Zircotec plans to offer other colour options in the near future.
The new coating is expected to be very popular for the classic and mid performance car markets such as MGB, Ford Escort, Mini, Caterham 7,Triumph TR, VW Golf GTI and Honda Civic. Higher performance vehicles such as the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo as well as motorsport customers are better suited to Zircotec's Performance product.
Click here to go straight to our Primary Range Product Page. |
Sample prices for the coating of some typical
manifolds are:
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| Ford Focus: | |
£160 (+vat) |
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| Honda Civic: | |
£112 (+vat) |
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| VW Golf GTI MkV: | |
£160 (+vat) |
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| Caterham 7 K Series: | |
£160 (+vat) |
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| MGB: | |
£112 (+vat) |
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| Sample prices exclude shipping - charged at cost where applicable. | ||||||
Results - Zircotec supported Historic Road Sports Meeting at Silverstone
11th May 2009|
This was an excellent event with a programme of 14 races over the two days; record entries in some of the races; the first championship race for Formula 5000 cars in the UK since 1975; and one of the closest finishes of the One Hour Guards Race ever seen.
The Silverstone round of the Zircotec supported Historic Road Sports Championship 2009 took place on the Saturday (Race 3 in the series). This is a championship specifically for production sports and GT cars built and registered between 1947 and 1969, and cars must have a period competition history. Entrants range from TVRs to Lotus, MG, Ginetta and Turner.
A grid of 32 cars competed in fine dry weather conditions leading to some excellent racing. Congratulations go to the winner James Paterson who completed the 12 lap race in his Morgan Plus 8 in just over 20 mins 20sec; Paul Tooms in a Lotus Élan S4 (2nd place); and Andy Shepherd in his Lotus Seven S2 (3rd place). Tropies were presented by Zircotec's Managing Director, Terry Graham.
A total of 28 of the 32 starters completed the race. Fastest lap went to James Paterson and also Paul Tooms, who both completed individual laps in 1 min. 40.404 sec. Click Here for a full listing of the results. The next race meeting of the series will be at the Snetterton Circuit over the weekend of the 30th & 31st May 2009. Once again, Zircotec's heat management specialists will be on hand throughout the weekend to provide advice and support.
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Left to right: Paul Tooms (2nd); Terry Graham, MD Zircotec; James Paterson (winner); Andy Shepherd (3rd)
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James Paterson (winner) in his Morgan Plus 8
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Lamborghini selects Zircotec coating for its new LP670-4 Murciélago SuperVeloce
28th April 2009|
Automobili Lamborghini has selected Zircotec to supply a high performance thermal barrier coating for use on its lightweight Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce.
One of our high performance Thermohold® based coatings has helped Lamborghini reduce the weight of its new Murciélago supercar. Our coating is applied to the car exhaust system to reduces the need for heat shields whilst still allowing heat sensitive lightweight materials to be used in close proximity to the exhaust pipe. The technology also protects other heat sensitive components from damage. |
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Our coating has helped contribute to an overall weight saving of 100kg over the normal Murciélago, with 33kg of the reduction coming from the new powertrain and exhaust system.
Luca Meschiari, head of exhausts at Lamborghini coments....
"Zircotec helped us in achieving the attention to detail in weight reduction on this programme. Their coating helps save weight yet is also durable, and meets our requirements in terms of performance and quality more than other solutions we have seen." |
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Our Thermohold based ceramic coatings offer OEMs a robust, easily packaged solution that can dramatically inhibit the transfer of heat from exhausts and catalysts, retaining the heat inside the system to protect surrounding components. The coating is plasma-sprayed, in effect welding it to the base material, making it more resilient during heat cycling, abrasion and life testing. The whole process eradicates the need for heatshields and wraps that add weight and complexity. Learning from their experience in F1, Zircotec can ‘tune' the coating's thickness to cope with ‘hot spots', applying the optimum amount to minimise weight (as low as 0.03g/cm² for some applications).
Lamborghini previously used a Zircotec coating for its Reventón car where a durable solution to protect the composite bodywork and components around the exhaust was required. The Murciélago SV is a growing testament that Zircotec's coatings help weight reduction, reduce complexity and keep the car cool.
Zircotec to support Historic Road Sports Championship 2009
21st April 2009|
Zircotec is now able to announce that it will be working with the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) through its support to the HSCC's Historic Road Sports Championship 2009, a race series run by the HSCC for classic production sports cars.
The next race meeting of the series will form part of the Silverstone International Race Meeting scheduled for the weekend of the 9th & 10th May 2009, and Zircotec's heat management speciallists will be on hand at Siverstone throughout the weekend to provide advice and support. |
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Zircotec's technology and products are directly applicable to the HSCC and its members. Our coatings help to provide modern comfort, performance, reliability and durability, whilst also providing a long-lasting period look for classic vehicles. "Because of age, design and traditional materials, most classic cars have poor thermal management, and this is especially critical when racing," explains Zircotec managing director Terry Graham. "As extra championship points are awarded for cars driven to and from the circuit on the road, reliability can be enhanced with our products." Zircotec is therefore ideally placed to work with the Historic Sports Car Club and its 2009 race series.
Zircotec's zirconia-based ceramic coating offers racers a robust, easily packaged solution that can dramatically inhibit the transfer of heat from exhausts, retaining the heat inside the system to protect surrounding components. Originally developed by the Atomic Energy Authority for the nuclear energy industry, the coating has demonstrated exhaust system surface temperature reductions of almost one third, and under bonnet temperature reductions in some applications of as much as 50ºC, helping to eliminate fuel vaporisation and damage to surrounding paintwork and sensitive electrical parts such as alternators or wiring.
The coatings are proven in motorsport to increase performance and come in a range of colours allowing racers to replicate period finishes such as white asbestos, suiting the looks of the championship's sports and GT cars. "We are proud to support the HSCC's prestigious and popular classic cars series," continues Graham. "Zircotec's technicians will also be on hand to help drivers with their heat management issues, offering advice and recommendations at each race."
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Click here for further deals of the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) and the HSCC Historic Road Sports Championship 2009 Supported by Zircotec.
Click here for details of the Silverstone International Race Meeting now scheduled for the 9th and 10th May 2009. |
F1 Exhibition featuring Zircotec's carbon composite coating opened by Ron Dennis, CEO & Chairman of McLaren Group
11th March 2009
Zircotec is now in an F1 "Pole Position" at the Science Museum (London).
Earlier today Ron Dennis, CEO and Chairman of McLaren Group, opened a new exhibition called "Fast Forward 20 ways F1 is changing our world" showing how Formula 1 technology is being applied to fields of research and inovation away from the racetrack. Zircotec's technology for protecting carbon composite from the effects of heat, fire and general wear and tear is one of the 20 innovative technologies featured in the exhibition.
The technology is demonstrated on a set of carbon composite F1 wishbones where part of the surface has been plasma-spray coated with a ceramic based thermal barrier and then over-sprayed with a reflective coating to protect against radiant heat. Zircotec's technology allows high strength lightweight materials to be used in environments for which they would otherwise be unsuitable. The coating is itself lightweight, thereby avoiding any significant weight impact for the components on which it is used. It in effect becomes part of the underlying structure resulting in an extremely robust coating that will not easily detach. These coatings and their application involve a proprietary Zircotec process for which a patent application has been filed.
| The Science Museum has put together the exhibition with the expertise and support of McLaren Marketing Ltd., and the exhibition features the McLaren MP4-21 car built by McLaren Racing for the 2006 season. Ron Dennis, CEO and Chairman of McLaren Group commented "F1 complies with unbelievably high standards delivered under extreme pressures, when the difference between success and failure is measured in a few tenths of a second. Today this incredible engineering asset is available to other fields of research and innovation to the benefit of many people in their everyday lives." He went on to say that "as Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group I believe that this expertise can become an example for many of the UK's hi-tech industries as we aim to 'power through' these difficult times in the ascent of recession." |  |
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The exhibition opened with todays press launch, just before the Formula 1 season kicks off in Australia, and the exhibition is now open to the public.
We suspect that temperatures will be high when the 2009 F1 season starts in Australia - so Zircotec's thermal barrier coatings will be there too protecting a number of F1 cars and their components from the effects of heat! |
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