JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #110 - January/February 2017 - 3

EDlTORlAL

Automotive,
a focus of concern

54rd year

President and CEO/Publisher:

Frédérique Mutel - mutel@jeccomposites.com

Editor-in-chief & Media director:

By

Frédéric Reux - reux@jeccomposites.com

Senior editor:

Stéphanie Viallefond - viallefond@jeccomposites.com
Franck Glowacz - glowacz@jeccomposites.com

Writer & Conference manager:

Cécile Lagoutte - lagoutte@jeccomposites.com

Contributor:

Marie-Hélène Corbin - corbin@jeccomposites.com

Deputy-editor & Graphic designer:
Antoine Morel - morel@jeccomposites.com

Graphic designer:

Candice Herbreteau - herbreteau@jeccomposites.com

Development Director:

Anne-Carole Barbarin - barbarin@jeccomposites.com

Development Manager:

Martin Gamarra - gamarra@jeccomposites.com

Marketing Director:
Sandrine Dumarquez - presse@jeccomposites.com

Technical & Business manager:
Thierry Saint-Martin - saintmartin@jeccomposites.com
Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 73

Technical & Business developer:
Kim-Oanh Truong - kim@jeccomposites.com
Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 74

Mediakit: www.jeccomposites.com/Mediakit

"

Editor-in-chief
reux@jeccomposites.com

The figures for 2016 are not yet available,
but a look at 2015, which is not too far
off, shows that 90 million vehicles were
produced worldwide that year, including
66 million passenger cars and 23 million
commercial vehicles. Examining past
years, we see that the market is growing
steadily, and the worldwide forecast
for the years to come is also positive.
Demand is strong. The market grew
by 2% during the first two quarters of
2016, according to figures from the
International Organization of Motor
Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA). So,
given the enormous potential, it is not
surprising that composite professionals
are keeping an eye on that sector.

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Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 2017

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Total Average
Qualified Circulation:

37,675 copies
BPA June statement 2016.
Print circulation of 22,739 and
electronic circulation of 14,936.

Frédéric Reux

To get an idea of what this market
represents, you need to know that on
average, the transportation sector,
which is larger than the automotive
sector alone, absorbs an average 25%
of the volume in a composites market
that was estimated at 8.8 million metric
tons in 2014. The data shows that the
automotive market is quite large, while
the other segments of the transportation
sector - railway, aerospace, etc. - count
for much less in volume. Other data
from the German Carbon Composites
Association at year's end 2014 confirm
the weight of automotive. These data
are of interest, in that carbon fibre as
reinforcement is one of the components
- next to thermoplastics - that arouses
the most interest among auto builders.
Demand for carbon fibre in automotive
amounts to 8,500 metric tons, or 16% of
total demand, the second highest after
the aerospace/defence segment. And
demand for carbon composites has an
No110 January - February 2017 /

even higher percentage, still considered
in terms of volume, at 21% (21,800
metric tons). Globally, composites
currently account for 2-3% of the total
weight of an average mass-produced car.
So the data confirm just how heavily
the automotive sector weighs in the
ecosystem of composites, and more
especially, they also reveal the potential
there. If the penetration rate increases
in the near future, even only slightly, the
volumes will skyrocket.
Professionals in the composite
industry, from raw-material producers
to distributors, processors, designers
and Tier 1 manufacturers, are no doubt
dreaming about all of this and are all very
interested. Of course, we join in with
this initiative, which is very exciting,
including in terms of innovation.
Moreover, our report perfectly illustrates
the interest aroused by the automotive
sector with the development of new
materials, processes and applications.
Another advantage of the sector is
of course that it is an international
market and so there is always a region
somewhere driving the market. And
if the sector shifts gradually towards
electric, spurred on by China and the
German builders, who appear to have
moved into high gear, there will still be
a place for composites. So is this an El
Dorado, or a lure?

"

Technical editor:

While we're waiting for an answer, we
wish you a very good start for the New
Year, with your favourite magazine, and
hope to see you at JEC World in Paris on
14-16 March 2017, for what looks to be
a very promising show.

jec composites magazine

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #110 - January/February 2017
