As carmakers leap to reach increasingly higher-hanging fruit in the effort to trim weight from new vehicles, advanced materials and manufacturing processes confront cost constraints.

Magneti Marelli’s solution is to employ carbon fiber that includes 40 percent recycled material. As there is not an abundance of carbon fiber products returning from the end of their useful lives, recycled carbon fiber is normally excess material recovered from manufacturing processes for other parts.

Automotive steering knuckles, also known as hub carriers or suspension uprights, are typically heavy parts because of the forces involved supporting the car’s weight and withstanding steering and braking forces that transfer through the part.