At the annual meeting of the VDMA Hybrid Lightweight Technologies working group, which took place on 12 February, it became clear that the industry is intensively addressing holistic concepts of lightweight construction, offering customized solutions for CO₂ reduction.

In the automotive sector in particular, there is growing pressure from supply chains to live up to the guiding principle of climate-neutral manufacturing and to be able to prove this with data. In the context of taxation based on CO₂ intensity, monetary benefits can also be generated through CO₂ savings.

In addition to sustainable production, the recyclability of plastics products is becoming increasingly important against the background of resource conservation and the goal of a functioning circular economy. It is still a challenge for materials and process technology to combine the benefits of use of new lightweight material composites with good ecological product design in terms of recyclability.

VDMA Hybrid Lightweight Technologies working group is addressing holistic concepts of lightweight construction offering solutions for CO₂ reduction.

Industry and research are working together on new methods for the material recycling of hybrid lightweight components, which improve the eco-balance and, at the same time, offer economic advantages. In the development of new lightweight components, design for recycling must have the same priority as functionality and production efficiency.

Consideration of the carbon footprint is becoming increasingly important for mechanical engineers. The chairman of the VDMA working group, Marc Kirchhoff, TRUMPF, stated, “In addition to the own production location, it is the degree of energy and resource efficiency of the machines that we deliver to our customers. But we can also score points with the positive CO₂ balance of the lightweight products manufactured on these machines.”

The focus on circular economy and CO₂ footprint opens up new fields of application for hybrid lightweight construction and drives development - not least the digitalization of production processes, added Marc Kirchhoff.

To the overall context: Achieving the climate targets and a more sustainable use of raw materials is guiding policies and legislation worldwide when it comes to implementing new regulations for sustainable business. The European union is aiming for climate neutrality by 2050 as part of the Green Deal.

To achieve this goal, the EU is planning concrete measures for this year. These include, for example, the planned CO₂ pricing or quotas for the use of recycled materials in order to promote the circular economy for plastics.

But sustainability goals do not only play a role in Europe. CO₂ regulations per climate protection and the expansion of renewable energies are also on the agenda of the upcoming five-year plan of the Communist Party in China - one of the most important sales markets with growth potential for lightweight construction technologies.