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Composites |


Tighter emission limits are forcing car makers to look at new material technologies and continuous fi bre thermoplastics are high on that list.


Chris Smith looks at some of the new


composite production technologies that will be on show at K2013


show preview


The lightweight revolution


By 2020 Europe’s car makers will have to meet tough new fl eet average CO2 emission targets of just 95 g/km, down by 28% on the current Europe-wide average of 132 g/km. And the challenge will be even greater for Germany’s car makers which, with their focus on larger vehicles, will need to cut fl eet average emissions by more than 35% from today’s level of 147 g/km. Europe’s car makers will have to call on a whole raft of technolo- gies to meet these new limits, including the develop- ment of electric vehicles as well as the adoption of new lightweight materials. Over the past decade, cars have become much safer


and more comfortable. But that has come at a price; the trend with each new model introduction has been larger and heavier designs. In emission terms, every kilogram counts - engineering group PA Consulting recently estimated that for every 100kg of weight saved, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 7 g/km. Weight can be saved through more intelligent, optimised design and by substitution of metals with lighter and stronger polymer composites – but only if the processing shortcomings can be overcome.


www.injectionworld.com


Conventional polymer composite manufacturing is simply too slow and expensive for volume car manufac- turing. Thermoplastic composites could change that, offering competitive part cycle times together with high performance to weight ratios. “The next big advance in metal substitution in vehicle


construction will succeed only with a technological leap, namely, using continuous-fi bre reinforcement of injection moulded structures. That means thermoplas- tic composites,” says Dr Andreas Wollny, responsible for marketing of lightweight composites at BASF in Germany. He says the company expects the total market for thermoplastic and thermoset composites to amount to €2bn in the long term. K2103 sees the company launch its Ultracom


material package. This comprises a range of continuous fi bre-reinforced semi-fi nished thermoplastic laminates, together with optimised and fi bre-reinforced over- moulding grades, and complementary engineering and application development support. To deliver this critical third element, the company has installed a high-capacity thermoplastic composite


October 2013 | INJECTION WORLD 47


Main image: Many believe thermoplastic composites


could open up a whole new


round of metal substitution opportunities


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