{"id":16642,"date":"2015-09-01T05:15:48","date_gmt":"2015-09-01T09:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acmanet.org\/?p=16642"},"modified":"2025-02-04T16:17:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T21:17:26","slug":"automotive-industry-meets-lightweighting-demands-with-composites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acmanet.org\/automotive-industry-meets-lightweighting-demands-with-composites\/","title":{"rendered":"Composites in the Fast Lane"},"content":{"rendered":"

The industry is evolving quickly to meet automotive lightweighting demands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deadlines are looming for CAFE fuel efficiency standards in the U.S. (54.5 mpg fleet average by 2025) and for Europe\u2019s required reductions in CO2 emissions (40 percent decrease for fleets from 2007 to 2021). In response, automakers and OEMs are working more closely than ever with the composites industry to produce lighter, more efficient vehicles to meet the new requirements.<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) a 10 percent reduction in vehicle weight can improve fuel efficiency by 6 to 8 percent or increase the range of a battery-electric vehicle by up to 10 percent. Compared with steel, composites can offer a mass reduction ranging of 25 to 30 percent for glass fiber systems and 60 to 70 percent for carbon fiber systems. So it\u2019s not surprising that Persistence Market Research predicts the global composites automotive market will more than double in size in the coming years, going from $3.06 million in 2014 to $7.01 million in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CAFE standards are really what\u2019s been driving the growth of composites,\u201d says Laura K. Gigas, senior product manager, Ashland Performance Materials. \u201cComposites are lighter than steel, and they have other qualities like corrosion resistance and the ability to consolidate multiple steel parts into one composite part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lightweight and cost effective<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although carbon fiber has grabbed much of the attention in the automotive world, OEMs today are using a wide range of composites in their vehicles.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sogefi, working with Owens Corning, unveiled the first composite material coil springs for automotive suspension systems last fall. Audi will use the GFRP coil for its mass-produced A6 Avant 2.0 TDI ultra. The composite coils weigh 40 to 70 percent less than traditional springs made of steel and will reduce the weight of the vehicle by approximately 9.7 pounds. They also will reduce noise and decrease CO2 emissions up to 1.1 pounds per 0.62 miles.<\/p>\n

Chevrolet will use Continental Structural Plastics\u2019 TCA Ultra Lite SMC, a polyester-based Class A SMC with a specific gravity of 1.2, in 21 body panel assemblies in the 2016 Corvette. Components include doors, deck lids, quarter panels and fenders. The use of composites will save money, since tooling costs for composites for production volumes under 150,000 can be as much as 50 to 70 percent less than those for stamping steel or aluminum.<\/p>\n

Ford researchers have been experimenting with both injection molding and compression molding for composite components made from chopped fibers. \u201cThe properties look very, very good for future applications,\u201d says Matt Zaluzec, global materials & manufacturing research \u2013 VES Technical Advisory Board, Research & Advanced Engineering at Ford.<\/p>\n

But random fiber composites provide less predictable, less reproducible results than composites made with continuous fiber. That\u2019s not an issue in body panels, but it is essential in structural, safety-critical components. Ashland is working with resins and processes such as prepregs and high pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) to improve the structural stability of both glass and carbon continuous fiber composites.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hyundai: Using a CFRP Frame<\/strong><\/p>\n

Automakers like CFRP because of its weight (70 percent lighter than steel and 40 percent lighter than aluminium), high strength-to-weight ratio, stiffness and corrosion resistance. For its new Intrado crossover, Hyundai is using a rigid CFRP structure in combination with lightweight steel.<\/p>\n

At the core of the Intrado\u2019s frame are CFRP sections that begin life as beams containing overbraided carbon fiber and flexible foam cores. Hyundai says the composition makes laying-up and bending into shape easy \u2013 no pre-forming steps are necessary – while the enclosed foam reduces frame mass and cost. A vacuum-assisted RTM process is used to create the final material.<\/p>\n

Precisely-shaped, continuous loops made from CFRP form self-contained modular frames for the roof, hood and door aperture on either side of the car. Hyundai bonded the carbon loops along their lengths, rather than at cross-sections, to make the frames stronger and reduce torsional stresses.<\/p>\n

The seals of opening panels shut directly against these frames, further reducing weight and showcasing the CFRP whenever the doors, hood or trunk are opened. Body panels are made from advanced, super lightweight steel, but the strength and rigidity of the central CFRP frame structure means Hyundai could make them from any material.<\/p>\n

A \u201cfloating\u201d center console beam, also made of CFRP, runs the length of the Intrado. This beam provides the vehicle with its unique strength, connects the passenger areas and powertrain to the CFRP frame and serves as a mounting point for essential controls and protective padding.<\/p>\n

Hyundai says the unique qualities of the Intrado make it more repairable than typical CFRP structures, as damaged sections or parts can be replaced without the use of expensive tooling or ovens. The Intrado\u2019s minimalistic, self-supporting skeleton-like frame structure is highly stable and extremely lightweight, saving 70 percent weight compared to a conventional chassis and around 30 percent on the overall vehicle weight without compromising safety attributes, according to the company.<\/p>\n

Ford: Bonding Composites with Aluminum<\/strong><\/p>\n

A CFRP passenger cell will anchor Ford\u2019s new GT high-performance, limited-run supercar, scheduled for production in late 2016. The vehicle will include aluminum front and rear subframes encapsulated in structural CFRP body panels. The CFRP in the GT\u2019s chassis tub and bodywork will be hand laid.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ford also will use CFRP in a mass-produced car, offering CFRP wheels as a standard feature on its Shelby GT350R Mustang. The one-piece wheel is half the weight of an equivalent aluminum wheel (18 pounds versus 33 pounds). Australia\u2019s Carbon Revolution worked with Ford to develop the wheel, which includes a thermal barrier coating and a special durability coating to resist corrosion. The team also developed several new processes to produce the wheels\u2019 high-gloss black finish.<\/p>\n

\"GT350R
Wheels on the new mass-produced Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang are made from CFRP, which cuts the weight in half compared to aluminum. Photo Credit: Ford Motor Co. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carbon Revolution manufactures the wheels by placing fabrics woven with carbon fibers into a mold, infusing the mold with resin and then curing it at high temperatures. The resulting one-piece wheel ensures maximum strength and eliminates the need to bond or glue the wheel\u2019s spokes and barrel components together.<\/p>\n

The GT350R also features an injection-molded, CFRP grill opening reinforcement (GOR). Although the material costs are higher than lightweight steel or aluminum, composites reduce weight and can be formed into a single part. The capital expenditure is less overall because instead of 15 stamped parts that require joining, the GOR is made in one piece with a single tool.<\/p>\n

Ford is pressing ahead with carbon fiber on other fronts as well. In April it signed a joint development agreement with DowAksa to advance research on high-volume, automotive-grade carbon fiber. The goal is to produce cost-effective composite parts that are much lighter than steel, but also meet automotive strength requirements.<\/p>\n

BMW: Building Composite & Metal Hybrids<\/strong><\/p>\n

Building on the carbon fiber technology introduced in the BMW i vehicles, the German automaker\u2019s new Series 7 luxury sedans feature a lightweight body structure with elements of CFRP, ultra-high tensile steel and aluminum. According to BMW, the combination increases the strength and rigidity of the vehicle\u2019s passenger shell while substantially reducing weight (up to 287 pounds). BMW incorporated CFRP in the B and C pillars, rocker panels, roof bows and rails, transmission tunnel and rear deck.<\/p>\n

BMW is producing the Series 7 at its Plant Dingolfing, using wet pressing for components made only with carbon fiber. For hybrid parts, the pressing process involves impregnating carbon fiber fabrics with resin before placing them, still wet, in a molding die with steel sheet. The two materials are then pressed and hardened, combining them into a hybrid component.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Speeding Up Carbon Fiber Adoption<\/strong><\/p>\n

Automakers and OEMs would be likely to incorporate more carbon fiber into their vehicles if the composites industry could overcome problems like cost and cycle times. The industry is investing time and money in research to solve these problems.<\/p>\n

Dow Automotive Systems, for example, has reduced traditional 20- to 30-minute molding cycle times to less than 60 seconds with its VORAFORCE 5300 epoxy resin. \u201cWe were able to bring new chemistries to this industry that would enable fast processing of structural composites to be able to meet the manufacturing volumes the OEMs are interested in,\u201d says Peter Cate, associate marketing director, new business platforms. VORAFORCE 5300 offers both super-low viscosity (10 millipascal seconds) and viscosity latency. It will work with both RTM and wet compression molding systems.<\/p>\n

Government-backed research centers are investigating ways to overcome the obstacles, too. Carbon Nexus, part of the Australian Future Fibres Research and Innovation Centre at Deakin University, is the world\u2019s only open access carbon fiber manufacturing and research facility. \u201cEnd users can come and learn and try things out,\u201d says Derek Buckmaster, Carbon Nexus director. \u201cIt\u2019s a big benefit for them, because until now they had to rely on their suppliers, who may not have a great interest in this kind of development.\u201d<\/p>\n

The center has two processing lines. One, focused on fundamental research, is capable of producing small quantities of carbon fiber materials. The second, an industrial-scale pilot facility, can make 110 metric tons of carbon fiber material annually.<\/p>\n

On the applied research side, researchers at Carbon Nexus are currently working with one OEM interested in minimizing production and processing costs for carbon fibers. The facility also is partnering with Carbon Revolution \u2013 producer of the CFRP wheels for Ford\u2019s GT350R \u2013 and with Quickstep, Australia\u2019s largest exporter of CFRP composites. Quickstep now has a division focused on developing and optimizing their process technology for the automotive industry. In addition, Carbon Nexus has signed an agreement with DowAksa to work on some automotive development projects.<\/p>\n

\"Carbon
Australian-based Carbon Nexus, which researches and develops carbon fiber-based materials and manufacturing techniques, has 11 industry partners from nine countries. It has produced 75 different batches of carbon fiber for research trials, equaling approximately five tons of material and 2,250 bobbins. Photo Credit: Carbon Nexus<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Basic research at Carbon Nexus involves four areas: reducing the cost of carbon fiber, improving its performance, reducing cycle time and improving surface treatment and sizing to enhance carbon fiber performance.<\/p>\n

The facility has already made some significant improvements in the amount of energy used for the oxidation and carbonization processes. Eighteen months ago, the basic operating energy consumption for the carbonization line was 822 kW; researchers have now reduced it to 377 kW, less than half the initial expenditure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not focused on inventing new equipment to do the process,\u201d says Buckmaster. \u201cIt\u2019s focused around optimizing the way you use the equipment. We think that\u2019s going to be most relevant to the companies who are manufacturing carbon fiber today.\u201d<\/p>\n

To further reduce costs, Carbon Nexus researchers are investigating precursors with higher carbon content in hopes of gaining better yields as well as lower cost and bio-based precursor materials.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is home to the DOE\u2019s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, which has a 390-foot-long processing line and can produce up to 25 metric tons of carbon fiber a year. ORNL recently 3-D printed the 50th<\/sup> anniversary version of the Shelby Cobra, using 20 percent carbon fiber reinforced ABS material.<\/p>\n

\"ORNL
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory 3-D printed the 50th anniversary version of the Shelby Cobra, using 20 percent carbon fiber-reinforced ABS material.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While ORNL will continue to conduct its own carbon fiber research, it is now a key part of a larger endeavor, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). Launched in June, IACMI comprises 123 partners\/members, including ACMA, manufacturers, material suppliers, government and academia, who are involved in advanced composite research, development and production. Automotive manufacturers like Ford, Honda R&D and Volkswagen are IACMI members; so are composite industry companies like Ashland Performance Materials, Continental Structural Plastics and Materials Innovation Technologies.<\/p>\n

IACMI will focus on three areas of applied research \u2013 automotive, compressed gas storage and wind. The goal is to move new technology out of the research lab and into the production line within two to three years. For the automotive industry, researchers will do initial work at ORNL and then move to the labs at Michigan State University, which has 4,000 to 5,000-ton presses capable of producing full-scale components.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Since the DOE is a primary sponsor of IACMI, much of the research will involve removing entrained energy in glass and carbon fiber composites. The 10-year goal is to reduce manufacturing costs by 50 percent, reduce energy costs by 75 percent and increase the recyclability of composites to more than 95 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all with an eye to mass production \u2013 100,000-plus platforms is the goal,\u201d says Craig Blue, CEO of IACMI. \u201cSo we\u2019re also going to be looking heavily at cycle times and reducing cycle times south of two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winning Business in a Competitive Industry<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are other issues that the composites industry must address to win full acceptance in the automotive industry. Composite manufacturers must find cost-effective resins that produce little or no VOCs. The industry must also ensure that there is a sufficient supply of carbon fiber to meet the demands of high-volume automotive production. (Zaluzec says he\u2019d like to see some entrepreneur do for the composites industry what Andrew Carnegie did for steel, building multiple plants across the country.)<\/p>\n

And while OEMs are intrigued by the possibilities in CFRP and other composites, they are also interested in the breakthroughs in other lightweight materials. \u201cI love the materials industry because we have more options today than we\u2019ve ever had; our product development engineers can choose from steel, aluminum, glass fiber or carbon fiber composites,\u201d says Zaluzec. \u201cWe\u2019re material agnostic, so every material will be considered. We want the right material on the right product at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, one of the benefits of composites \u2013 the vast range of material and resin choices and formulations \u2013 puts them at a disadvantage in this competition. \u201cPeople know steel, they know aluminum, they know the mechanics and the different grades and specifications,\u201d says Kevin Richardson, global marketing manager of long fiber thermoplastics (LFT) at PPG Industries. \u201cBut when you get into composites, they are made up of a number of raw materials and those raw materials can be changed or modified as far as percentages. So you don\u2019t have that nice little book that you can open up and say composite A is going to get this performance and composite B will get this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because automotive engineers and designers don\u2019t understand the properties of composites, they don\u2019t take advantage of their full potential. \u201cYou just can\u2019t swap out a part and put a composite one in its place,\u201d says Keith Bihary, corporate sales director, Molded Fiberglass Companies. “It really needs to be designed up front to get the real benefits of parts consolidation, proper material selection, etc. It needs to be happening early on rather than after the fact.”<\/p>\n

The composites industry needs to keep pushing to educate engineers and to find the answers that the automakers need. \u201cIt will be too late if we wait three or four years; somebody else will come along with the solution,\u201d says Gigas. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about bringing them a material or a resin; it\u2019s bringing them solutions to their challenges, and that\u2019s who\u2019s going to win.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The industry is evolving quickly to meet automotive lightweighting demands. Deadlines are looming for CAFE fuel efficiency standards in the U.S. (54.5 mpg fleet average by 2025) and for Europe\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[681,593],"tags":[683,682,705,678,704],"class_list":["post-16642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-automotive","category-cm-magazine","tag-3d-printing","tag-carbon-fiber","tag-injection-molding","tag-resin","tag-september-october-2015-issue"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nComposites in the Fast Lane - American Composites Manufacturers Association<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The composites industry is evolving quickly to meet automotive lightweighting demands.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/acmanet.org\/automotive-industry-meets-lightweighting-demands-with-composites\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/acmanet.org\/automotive-industry-meets-lightweighting-demands-with-composites\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Composites in the Fast Lane - 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