Award winning thermoplastic composite technology offers vehicle lightweighting solution

Rebar for Plastics Lattice Technology, the thermoplastic composite lattice technology developed by Braskem, WEAV3D and the Clemson Composites Center at Clemson University, won the first place of the 2024 Altair Enlighten Award’s Future of Lightweighting category.

Rebar for Plastics Lattice Technology won first place of the 2024 Altair Enlighten Award’s Future of Lightweighting category.

The technology is resulted by combination of WEAV3D’s tunable woven composite technology, Braskem’s cost-effective polypropylene (PP) sheets and Clemson Composites Center’s extensive experience in stamp-forming thermoplastic composites from the US Department of Energy's Ultra-Lightweight Door program.

The awarded technology provides a cost-effective lightweight solution to enhance the performance of PP for structural automotive applications.

Compared to conventional composite organosheet, the solution reduces sheet blank weight by about 50% and final part weight by about 23%. It is also efficient as it increases sheet yield of 25-45% by weight, resulting in a 62% reduction in trim waste. Its cost is also reduced by around 50%.

Joel Carr, Technical Service and Development Engineering Team Leader, Braskem America, commented that the innovative material provides for more sustainable lightweight solution to help reduce vehicle carbon emissions while enhancing manufacturing process.