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Carbon composites for high-volume automotive applications
TECHNOLOGY
Carbon composites for high-volume automotive applications A EUROPEAN project called HIVOCOMP aims to advance carbon composite materials technology to speed up the composites production process, a key factor in making composites suitable for the high volume commercial vehicle market. HIVOCOMP (Advanced Materials enabling HIgh-VOlume road transport applications of lightweight structural COMPosite parts) will develop two material systems that show promise for cost-effective high-volume production of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts: • advanced polyurethane (PU) thermoset matrix materials; and • thermoplastic polypropylene (PP)-based and polyamide 6 (PA 6)-based self-reinforced polymer composites with
continuous carbon fibre reinforcements. The performance, production cost and recyclability of CFRP material systems will be tested and benchmarked to ensure the results reach cost, safety and environmental targets. Validated demonstrator parts will be produced in 2013. The project partners include VW, Daimler, Fiat Research Centre, Samsonite, Huntsman Polyurethanes, Airborne Composites, and ESI Group. The project will primarily focus on passenger cars, including the hybrid and fully electric platforms now entering the market, but it has identified spin-off applications in other transportrelated sectors as well. HIVOCOMP; www.hivocomp.eu
Vectorply introduces lightest carbon fabric VECTORPLY IS adding the C-BX 0300 multiaxial carbon fibre fabric to its VectraUltra line of reinforcements. The US manufacturer of multiaxial fabrics says the 100 g/m2 fabric is the lightest carbon fabric available on the market. “For the first time, we now have a product that is lightweight and offers better mechanical properties than traditional 1K woven carbon fabrics,” says Trey Sawtelle, Co-President of Vectorply Corporation. “There
REINFORCEDplastics
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
are many composite markets such as aerospace, automotive, defence and sporting equipment that can benefit from this new lightweight multiaxial fabric development.” The breakthrough in the ability to spread carbon fibre tow into very thin layers provides a high performance reinforcement fabric at a lower cost compared to a 1K carbon woven fabric of comparable weight, he explains. Vectorply; www.vectorply.com www.reinforcedplastics.com
Carbon composites for high-volume automotive applications A EUROPEAN project called HIVOCOMP aims to advance carbon composite materials technology to speed up the composites production process, a key factor in making composites suitable for the high volume commercial vehicle market. HIVOCOMP (Advanced Materials enabling HIgh-VOlume road transport applications of lightweight structural COMPosite parts) will develop two material systems that show promise for cost-effective high-volume production of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts: • advanced polyurethane (PU) thermoset matrix materials; and • thermoplastic polypropylene (PP)-based and polyamide 6 (PA 6)-based self-reinforced polymer composites with
continuous carbon fibre reinforcements. The performance, production cost and recyclability of CFRP material systems will be tested and benchmarked to ensure the results reach cost, safety and environmental targets. Validated demonstrator parts will be produced in 2013. The project partners include VW, Daimler, Fiat Research Centre, Samsonite, Huntsman Polyurethanes, Airborne Composites, and ESI Group. The project will primarily focus on passenger cars, including the hybrid and fully electric platforms now entering the market, but it has identified spin-off applications in other transportrelated sectors as well. HIVOCOMP; www.hivocomp.eu
Vectorply introduces lightest carbon fabric VECTORPLY IS adding the C-BX 0300 multiaxial carbon fibre fabric to its VectraUltra line of reinforcements. The US manufacturer of multiaxial fabrics says the 100 g/m2 fabric is the lightest carbon fabric available on the market. “For the first time, we now have a product that is lightweight and offers better mechanical properties than traditional 1K woven carbon fabrics,” says Trey Sawtelle, Co-President of Vectorply Corporation. “There
REINFORCEDplastics
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
are many composite markets such as aerospace, automotive, defence and sporting equipment that can benefit from this new lightweight multiaxial fabric development.” The breakthrough in the ability to spread carbon fibre tow into very thin layers provides a high performance reinforcement fabric at a lower cost compared to a 1K carbon woven fabric of comparable weight, he explains. Vectorply; www.vectorply.com www.reinforcedplastics.com