JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 37

RTM

High-performance chemistries put automotive manufacturers in the driving seat
Vehicle manufacturers are aggressively adopting lightweight composite materials to meet requirements for increased design freedom and flexibility, high strength, stiffness and reduced vehicle weight. This article looks at how high-performance chemistries for composites are pivotal to enabling cost-competitive manufacturing techniques and high-quality solutions.

By

Chantal Hubschmid, Technical Support Engineer, Composites and Tooling, Olivier de Verclos, Technical Support Team Leader, Composites and Tooling, Hunstman

T

he use of epoxy composites has become widespread in massmarket vehicle manufacturing. From the early days where composites were used for non-structural exterior applications such as car boots and bonnets, they are now being used for structural applications as well as the mass production of vehicle parts. Having first demonstrated their potential in aircraft construction, epoxy composites then became the material of choice in racing cars, moving onto use in the ‘supercar’ market before reaching the mass market. Epoxy resins reinforced with fibres produce composite materials with mechanical performance and corrosion resistance properties that are comparable to, if not higher than metal for structural applications. By substituting conventional materials with composites, manufacturers can reduce vehicle weight and thus achieve improved fuel efficiency and power-to-weight ratios that provide a better performance. Additional

advantages of composites are their high mechanical strength, stiffness and better impact resistance. A major challenge to the use of composite materials has been the ability to reduce total production cycle times. Today’s manufacturers are focused on evaluating their carbon composite processing methods with a view to speeding up processes for volume production while keeping quality at a premium and investment costs down. While aerospace-derived prepreg materials for autoclave cure were traditionally used within the racing and high-value automotive sectors, the manufacturing processes used with epoxy composite materials needed to be adapted to fit the needs of mass manufacturing. New liquid resin manufacturing materials have subsequently been developed for a wide variety of outof-autoclave processes, such as Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), but also find applications in less complex compression-moulded parts production.

Huntsman has recently been involved in various ground-breaking composite projects in the automotive sector, working with a number of global manufacturers. For example, the Araldite® RTM system has been chosen for the production of the first carbon fibre chassis from Lamborghini on the Aventador LP700-4. Lamborghini produced the bulk of the car’s chassis using an Araldite® resin system especially adapted for the company’s ‘RTM-Lambo’ technique. In combination with the Araldite® resin, this RTM technique created a robust and lightweight chassis which delivers an excellent power-to-weight ratio. All importantly, it also offers a cost-effective solution for the quick and repeatable production of structural parts with mechanical and thermal properties comparable to autoclaved prepregs, proving that RTM is fast becoming an excellent industrial solution. For the mass production of parts however, standard RTM processes needed to be improved and a faster solution for RTM developed.

No74 July 2012 /

jec composites magazine 37

Feature Automotive



JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012

Cover
Edito
Point of view: Closer to the shop floor
Contents
Agenda of Events
COMPANY & BUSINESS
- In Brief
- Glass fibre
APPLICATIONS
- Pipes & tanks
- Building
MARKET
- Human resources
- Glass fibre
- Turkey
FEATURE AUTOMOTIVE
- Braiding
- Lightening
- D-LFT
- Sustainability
- RTM
- RIM
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
- Design
- Fatigue behaviour
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
- Wind
- Reinforcement
Index
In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - Point of view: Closer to the shop floor
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - Agenda of Events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - In Brief
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Glass fibre
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 11
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 12
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Pipes & tanks
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Building
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 15
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 16
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Human resources
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Glass fibre
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 20
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Turkey
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Braiding
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Lightening
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 27
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 28
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 29
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - D-LFT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 31
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 32
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Sustainability
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 35
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 36
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - RTM
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 38
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - RIM
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Design
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 42
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 44
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 45
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Fatigue behaviour
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 47
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 48
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 49
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Wind
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 52
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 53
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - - Reinforcement
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 56
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - Index
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 59
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #74 - July 2012 - 60
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