Review: 'New Processes: Composites in the Automotive Industry'

CU Members in Dialogue

In the monthly "Jour Fixe" organized by the CU West and CU BW clusters of Composites United e.V. (CU), companies and institutions present their technologies or projects on a current topic. At the 27th Jour Fixe, "New Processes: Composites in the Automotive Industry," held on October 21, 2024, around 30 CU members and guests participated. Prof. Dr. Thomas Neumeyer from the Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe (IVW) introduced the topic and moderated the subsequent discussion.

"New applications with composite materials drive innovation on the path to emissions-free road transportation, particularly in the lightweight construction of vehicles, batteries, and drivetrain systems," said Dr. Heinz Kolz, Cluster Manager of CU West, in his opening remarks.

During the 27th Jour Fixe, the following companies/institutions presented their contributions to the topic:

• Polynt
• Institut für Leichtbau mit Hybridsystemen (ILH)
• DLR-Institut für Fahrzeugkonzepte
• Avanco

Interested in the speakers' contributions? Read the press release from CU here: https://composites-united.com/rueckblick-neue-verfahren-composites-in-der-fahrzeugindustrie-cu-mitglieder-im-gespraech/

Discussion:

The Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe researches with 120 employees along the entire value chain, from material development and design to processing technology at an industrial scale. The cascading use of wood—from high-value applications to energy recovery at the end of its lifecycle—can serve as a model for the cascading use of composites. In 2020, 20,000 tons of waste were generated, 40% from composite production and 60% from end-of-life products. Long and oriented fibers can be reused in high-value applications. In an IVW project, staple fibers approximately 8 cm long were spun into yarn and used for tape material. Tensile and bending tests showed the material's "second life" to have excellent properties, and curved geometries were achieved without wrinkling.

Prof. Neumeyer's discussion included questions about the speakers' technologies.

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Thomas Neumeyer, Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe

Presentations from the events are available to members on Carbon Connected: https://www.carbon-connected.de/Group/CU.West/uebersicht

For inquiries about this event series, contact Dr. Heinz Kolz, Cluster Manager CU West: heinz.kolz@composites-united.com