Archive for April, 2016
Alcoa’s High-Performance, Lightweight Alloys
Alcoa has launched a family of innovative foundry alloys designed to meet the growing need for both part performance and lightweighting in the automotive industry and beyond. The aluminum giant says the new alloys – SupraCast, EZCast, VersaCast and EverCast – have undergone extensive trials with major automakers and their suppliers, beating customers’ expectations on strength, […]
Hexcel Showcases High-Volume Carbon Fiber for Automotive Part
Hexcel Reinforcements’ (formerly Formax) HiMax carbon fiber multiaxial fabrics have been used to fabricate a high-volume part of a British automotive OEM. The manufacturer of composite reinforcements will display a composite structure manufactured for a British automotive OEM at the Global Automotive Lightweight Materials (GALM) Europe 2016 conference this month. The demonstrator part was developed using […]
BAIC BJEV Steps up Lightweighting Efforts
Chinese energy automaker, BAIC BJEV, recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement for Sino-German Automotive Light Weighting Technology Joint R&D Center with Dresden University of Technology. Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC and Minister of Science and Technology of China, and Tillich, Governor of Sachsen, Germany, witnessed the significant moment. Academician Hufenbach, known as the “Father of Light Weighting […]
Step Forward for Management of Welding and Joining Data
Granta Design has announced its latest GRANTA MI tools for the management of vital material property data relating to welds and other joining techniques. This data is claimed to be valuable for automotive organisations seeking to ensure accurate design or simulation, but is rarely systematically managed, leading to inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and risk. Granta is working […]
Carbon Fabrics Showcased in Next Generation Toyota
(source: Oxeon AB) The Deep Orange 6, “a next-generation Toyota concept vehicle” developed and engineered by students from Clemson University, has been unveiled this week at the SAE International 2016 World Congress and Exhibition in Detroit, MI. By using TeXtreme® carbon fabrics in its door panels, rear hatch, dashboard, and bumpers and cladding, significant weight savings, improved […]
Haartz and Minth Group Form Chinese Joint Venture for Auto Interiors
Haartz Corp. is entering a joint venture with Minth Group Ltd. to address the expanding automotive market in China. The JV, HaartzMinth (Ningbo) Automotive Ltd., will manufacture thermoplastic olefin automotive interior surface materials using extrusion technology from Haartz. It will be located near Ningbo to take advantage of existing resources of the Minth Group’s Taiyong facility. […]
Faurecia Wins Automotive News’ 2016 PACE Award for Two Innovations
Auburn Hills — Faurecia won the Automotive News 2016 PACE Award today for two innovations: the Adaptive Valve ™ and Cover Carving Technology. Both technologies, recognized for their contributions to lightweighting and optimizing in-vehicle experiences, were among the 30 finalists selected for consideration in the annual PACE Awards program. Faurecia’s Emissions Control Technologies division won […]
Lightweight Composites Manufacturer Expanding
Michigan-based automotive manufacturing supplier Continental Structural Plastics Inc. has announced plans to invest $33.5 million into a new facility next to its current Huntington County operations and add up to 80 workers over the next few years. A new 130,000 square-foot plant is in the planning stages and will be built next to the current 210,000 square-foot facility. The company […]
BASF Partners to Produce First Auto Roof Frame of Natural Fiber
Together with the International Automotive Components Group (IAC), BASF has developed the worldwide first roof frame for cars that is entirely made of natural fiber. First use of the IAC FiberFrame roof system will be in the new E-class of Mercedes-Benz. The chemical giant says the tough, heat-resistant lightweight components are made possible by BASF’s water-based […]
Market for Lightweight Materials in Transportation - Expected to Reach $188.7 Billion by 2020
Research and Markets has announced the addition of “Lightweight Materials in Transportation” report to their offering. The global market for lightweight materials used in transportation reached $115.4 billion in 2014. This market is expected to reach $109 billion by 2015 and $188.7 billion by 2020, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2015 to 2020. High-strength […]
