DETROIT: Ford has released a video clip to highlight the fact its honeycomb cargo shelf in the Ford EcoSport was inspired by honeybees.
The insect lend their design to the recycled paper honeycomb material that gives the shelf its unusual strength.
“The hexagonal design of honeycomb is a testament to nature’s ingenuity,” says Mike Mazzella, Ford EcoSport assistant chief engineer. “Not only is it strong, it’s superlight. Customers can slide the shelf into multiple different slots like an oven rack; even store it on the back of the seats. It helps make EcoSport super-flexible in everyday use.”
Honeycomb is one of several useful details that make the EcoSport an engineering and design powerhouse – a highly functional package in a vehicle just smaller than the Escape. The adjustable floorboard will debut as an all-new feature when EcoSport arrives early next year.
For years, honeycomb has been used to create the strong structure under the skins employed in high-end sporting equipment like skis, as well as aerospace frames. To create the adjustable floorboard for the EcoSport, a layer of hexagon-shaped cells made of 100 percent recycled paper and water-based glue is sandwiched between two layers of composite material. It’s able to hold more than 100 times its six pound (2.7kg) weight in cargo.
