[VIDEO] How It’s Made: MFG Creates Composite Parts for the C8 Corvette

By
Keith Cornett
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4
6974

[VIDEO] How It's Made: MFG Creates Composite Parts for the C8 Corvette

Screenshot Credit: Kurt Fink


A company in Ashtabula, OH has been part of the Corvette since the very beginning. It was Robert Morrison’s company called Molded Fiber Glass (MFG) that built the first fiberglass panels for the 1953 Corvette. I featured the story in my book Corvette Special Editions, and you can read a quick version of MFG’s role in building the first Corvettes at the company’s website.

Back in 2017, we found a local story about MFG and how they were laying off employees due to the Corvette assembly line shutting down for retooling. And like many local news stories, we found a mention of a possible future Corvette product. Despite the layoffs, the company also said there were installing two new molding presses to meet the demands of new business, starting in 2018. At the time we were fairly certain they were talking about the C8 Corvette and seeing these presses in action validates our blog post.

This video was shared online showing the creation of various composite parts for the 2020 Corvette Stingray. It’s B-roll from a company video shoot and included is some uplifting music to accompany the vendor’s work. If you find yourself enjoying TV shows like “How It’s Made”, you will find this 14-minute video very interesting.

From Kurt Fink via YouTube

Molded Fiber Glass Corvette Automation for Generals Motors Corvette C8 Project
B-Roll Selects Ashtabula


Source:
YouTube

Related:
Corvette Panel Maker MFG Will Undergo Temporary Shut-Down as Corvette Plant Retools
[VIDEO] Company That Made First Corvette Bodies Profiled
2016 Corvette Shaves 20 Pounds Thanks to New Body Panels by Continental Structural Plastics

 



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4 COMMENTS

  1. Now I have a greater appreciation for all the components that have to be designed, tested , and manufactured by many subcontractors. Then have all if the suppliers submit their products in a timely manner to the final assembly plant. It took years to pull all of this together and we are finally approaching the time where the C8 can be delivered to the customer. It will be worth the wait.

  2. I can’t believe the workers sanding and grinding the panels are not wearing respirators. Those fibers and dust are similar to asbestos in the lungs.

  3. @RoseZ06 , I was wondering the same thing. I do alot of fiberglass work with my homebuilt aircraft design, and any work I do is done with eye, hand and lung protection, and I constantly clean my workshop.

    All this said, this was a cool video. I am NOT a fan of panels made from a chopped mat fiberglass & polyester resin matrix, and it is heavy and weak, and better suited for moldmaking, but are low cost. Sandwich panels composed of oriented cloths laid up over a proper core material such as Clark or PVC foams are extremely strong and lightweight, but would price our beloved Corvette out of reach!

    At the end of the day, its fun stuff!

    Some good composite fabrication videos:

    https://youtu.be/U2PX1p7nbw8
    https://youtu.be/1ZYc1nyhJdc
    https://youtu.be/p9GTYsNBiaE
    https://youtu.be/H5A7_oPAw9c

Comments are closed.