#Composites
Chomarat creates the fabrics for a super light car’s underbody part
AUTOMOTIVE: PRODUCING 60% LIGHTER LEAF SPRINGS FOR CAR’s UNDERBODY
The new leaf springs made of composites are 60% lighter than their pendants made of steel thanks to KraussMaffei process and the involvement of a network of partners, including Chomarat with G-PLY™ glass reinforcement. Their strength can be deliberately increased in sections where it is required and the corrosion resistance offers further added value.
"We created the fabrics, when Engenuity developed the component, Huntsman supplied the matrix system made of epoxy resin, Johns Manville supplied the glass fibers, Schmidt & Heinzmann manufactured the preforms, Alpex designed the RTM mold and Hufschmied (Bobingen, Germany) took charge of post-mold processing of the component by milling. KraussMaffei has taken over the project management for Hengrui and coordinates the project with the partners”, Francisco De Oliveira at Chomarat explains.
G-PLY™: THE REINFORCEMENT MADE FOR HIGH SPEED PRODUCTION
The stitched UD glass developed for the project is adapted to the HP-RTM process (high pressure resin transfer molding) used to produce the leaf spring with high weight content of glass fiber. This design of the fabric offers an improved permeability that allows the resin flow through the multiple plies of the preforms.
“This new reinforcement includes a binder to allow preform stability and automatization onto the cutting and stacking processes. Chomarat strengthens its developments for the automotive industry by offering a new generation of reinforcements, usable in short cycle time process”, Francisco De Oliveira pursues.
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