Archive for November, 2018
Fluorocarbons CAGR to Jump 3 Percent
Expect the global fluorocarbon market to see a compound annual growth rate of more than 3 percent from 2018 to 2022. This according to Technavio, a market research company. One reason for the increase is the rising demand for lightweight materials, especially in the automotive industry. Fluorocarbons are used in air-conditioning and various automobile components, […]
2018 Automotive Innovation Awards Hall of Fame
The first injection-molded thermoplastic (PC/PBT) rear energy absorber for a vehicle bumper system, used on the 2003 Honda Element compact crossover SUV, was named the 2018 Automotive Innovation Awards Hall of Fame winner by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®). The energy absorber, made with XENOY™ Polycarbonate/Polybutylene Terephthalate (PC/PBT) resin from […]
UK Funding Lightweight-Vehicle Research
The U.K.’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has earmarked more than $28 million for research into lightweight vehicles and powertrains. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will be at the forefront of this push toward lower-emission vehicles. BEIS minister Richard Harrington said, “These projects will make vital progress towards making electric vehicles lighter and […]
Flax & Lightweighting
It’s been 35 years since carbon fibers revolutionized F1 cars. Since then, not much has happened, including getting past carbo-fiber problems such as sharp shattering in crashes, being expensive, manufacturing safety issues and a heavy eco footprint. Swiss company Bcomp Ltd wanted to move forward. It compiled latest information on composites and lightweighting and applied […]
Braidy Takes Over Materials Technology Company
Braidy Industries, Inc. has acquired NanoAl LLC, a world leader in the science of nanocrystallinestrengthening technology applied to sheet aluminum, as a third wholly owned subsidiary. NanoAl will join the Braidy Atlas aluminum-rolling mill and Veloxint in the Braidy Industries company portfolio. NanoAl came out of the Department of Materials Science at Northwestern University with […]
Lightweighting/Fuel Efficiency Drive High-Performance Plastic Demand
According to Frost & Sullivan, a business-consulting firm, lightweighting, engine downsizing and vehicle electrification will increase demand and adoption of high-performance plastics (HPPs) in the automotive and aerospace industries. Frost & Sullivan anticipates the automotive and aerospace HPP market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2 percent until 2024, reaching $3.05 […]
LIFT’s New Undertakings
Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT) is launching its third round of technology projects. This round will total more than $6.5 million in combined federal and industry investment in critical lightweight solutions. “We are very pleased to launch these new projects with our partners to invigorate new innovation in lightweighting,” said Nigel Francis, chief executive officer […]
DOE Vehicle Research
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is backing 42 projects totaling $80 million to support advanced vehicle technologies that will enable more affordable mobility, strengthen domestic energy security, reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources of critical materials and enhance the country’s economic growth. Some of the areas the projects deal with are batteries and electrification […]
Bonding Builds BETTER Vehicles
Adhesives lower weight and costs. With a global emphasis on carbon-dioxide reductions, all automotive manufacturers have been working on extensive evaluations of their vehicle fleet to identify the best options for powertrain solutions while satisfying many other factors, including consumer acceptance, cost, safety and global/local government requirements for fuel efficiency and reduction of tailpipe emissions. […]
Michigan 2018 Engineering Alumni Winner
Katherine Avery Vozar, a leader in automotive lightweighting, received Michigan Engineering’s 2018 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. The award, among the higest accolades given by the Michigan Engineering Alumni Board, honors alumni who have contributed substantially to their field, and either graduated within the past 10 years or are no more than 35 years old. Vozar […]
