TAGS: Automotive Thermoplastic Composites Metal Replacement
Funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), the LIGHTCAR Project is developing new long-fiber thermoplastic composites that provide advantages such as lightness, impact resistance and rigidity, as well as good recyclability and processability using conventional, efficient manufacturing methods with low waste generation.
The project is coordinated by Industrias Alegre and boasts the participation of other companies and centers, namely ITERA Soluciones de Ingeniería, Sinfiny Smart Technologies and AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre.
Flexible, High-speed Production Cell
The automotive industry is facing the challenge of environmental sustainability by reducing CO
2 emissions in response to legislation and the demands of society, which call for heightened environmental awareness from companies.
Weight reduction in electric vehicles is one of the keys to making emission reductions a reality. Lighter vehicles require less energy to run so their range is increased compared to heavier vehicles with the same batteries. The industry therefore aims to replace metal parts with new composite materials that help reduce battery weight by 50%-70%.
For processing, the project will also design a flexible, high-speed production cell for the manufacture of parts in which electronic components can be fitted.
The LIGHTCAR Project is funded within the framework of the Program of Strategic Cooperation Projects, co-funded by EU ERDF funds within the ERDF Operational Program of the Valencian Community 2014-2020, announced in Resolution of 14 January 2021 by the executive vice-president of the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), and aimed at strengthening and developing the Valencian Innovation System to improve the production model for financial years 2021 to 2023.
Source: AIMPLAS
