AIMPLAS turns its expertise to lightweight automotive materials

It is no secret that the automotive industry is among the numerous manufacturing sectors facing challenges in environmental sustainability. One method of making progress is by reducing CO2 emissions as is consistently demanded by both policy makers and the increasingly environmentally aware society as a whole.

One method of successfully reducing emissions in the automotive sector includes weight reduction in electric vehicles. Lighter vehicles require less energy to run, resulting in increased range. The industry therefore aims to replace metal parts with new composite materials that help reduce battery weight by 50-70 per cent.

The LIGHTCAR Project, co-ordinated by Industrias Alegre, is one such Europe-based initiative working towards this aim. The consortium includes engineering consultant ITERA Soluciones de Ingeniería, automation specialists Sinfiny Smart Technologies, and AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre.

Funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), the project is developing new lightweight long-fibre thermoplastic composites. The additional qualities of these materials include impact resistance and rigidity, recyclability, and processability using conventional, efficient manufacturing methods with low waste generation.

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 Programme of Strategic Cooperation Projects, co-funded by EU ERDF funds within the ERDF Operational Programme 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.