Germany and Canada set up joint research center for automotive lightweight composites

According to a joint announcement on October 12, The Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) in Germany and The University of Western Ontario (Western) in London, Ontario, Canada will work together on developing and processing composite materials for lightweight vehicles in the joint Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research @ Western (FPC@Western).

As introduced, the main focus of research at the FPC@Western will be fiber composites for lightweight construction in various markets, especially the automotive sector. Work will be oriented particularly towards the regional North American market. The FPC will be equipped with a hydraulic press with a maximum clamping force of 2,500 tons suitable for research on parts in full industrial scale.

Material and process research will be carried out in processing technologies such as Direct-Sheet Molding Compounds (D-SMC), Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics (LFT) and High-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding (HP-RTM). The aim is to accelerate the adoption of these high-volume composite technologies in industrial sectors such as the automotive and other transportation, machines and equipment supply, renewable energy, construction materials and aviation, says FPC@Western.

The FPC@Western also offers collaboration from bilateral private-sector projects up to multilateral public-funded research projects, according to the press release. The service portfolio of the FPC contains: research in the fields of materials, simulation, and design; optimizing of existing processes and materials; development of new processes and materials as well as transition of lab-scale basic research results into industrial applications; part, process, material and tooling innovations; and competence along the whole value chain from product engineering up to manufacturing of demonstrator parts.

"We are very pleased to be able to partner with a leading North American university such as Western to offer an independent research platform for North American industry to investigate the potential and adoption of lightweight materials and technologies," said Dr Frank Henning, Director, FPC@Western. "Western and the city of London have been ideal partners in the start-up of a large-scale research institute dedicated to the advancement of advanced manufacturing technologies."

"Our ability to attract one of the world's top research and development organizations to London is testament to both Western's longstanding strengths in materials and biomaterials research and to the city's forward-thinking vision," said Dr Ted Hewitt, Western's Vice President, Research & International Relations. "This unique project will make London the leading site for advanced composite-materials research and testing at the manufacturing scale in North America, and promises to create jobs throughout the region."

Funding is supported by the city of London. The joint project center will run for an initial period of five years. "The city of London understands the benefit of investing in solid and inventive partnerships," said London Mayor Joe Fontana. "This is one of those collaborations and it is poised to deliver remarkable advancements in composite technology, and distribute materials to an expanded marketplace. Congratulations to all involved in bringing us to this day."