Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWSIn the "HyWaSand" project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS has developed a storage compartment flap in lightweight sandwich construction for a truck driver's cab. The solution and in particular the manufacturing process used, which is suitable for processing thermoplastics in large-scale production, was honored today in Paris with the JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 in the "Automotive & Road Transportation - Process" category.
JEC Composites supports the application of composites in various sectors and brings together experts from industry, research and education. With the JEC Composites Innovation Award, it honors pioneering technologies every year. The Fraunhofer IMWS receives the award together with the project partners Daimler Truck AG, ElringKlinger AG, ENGEL Austria GmbH, ThermHex Waben GmbH and Edevis GmbH.
"We are delighted to receive this award. It is a valuable recognition for the joint research work in the project and also underlines the potential of lightweight construction solutions in thermoplastic sandwich construction," says Dr. Ralf Schlimper, who led the project at the Fraunhofer IMWS.
Sandwich structures consist of highly rigid and strong outer layers and a lightweight core. In addition to high material efficiency, this combination enables very high weight-specific bending and buckling stiffness. The design is therefore also suitable for heavy-duty structural components in vehicle and aerospace applications, for example, and enables potential weight savings of up to 70 percent compared to monolithic structures, with a load-bearing capacity of the components that corresponds to or even exceeds that of (significantly heavier) metallic components.
The thermoplastic sandwich moulding technology developed at the Fraunhofer IMWS was used in the award-winning project. Semi-finished products, consisting of a thermoplastic honeycomb core and cover layers of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic UD tape laminates from the partner ThermHex, are processed by thermoforming and can be functionalized by injection moulding in the same process. The continuous and fully automated production process is suitable both for moulded components and for use in large-scale production. The latter in particular is crucial for use in the automotive industry, where large quantities and short cycle times are required. In parallel, the "HyWaSand" project developed virtual engineering methods for process and component development as well as suitable non-destructive testing methods to ensure component quality.
"We have specifically focused on the needs of industry and developed a viable and economical solution together with our partners. The approach also makes a significant contribution to improving sustainability through weight savings, reduced material consumption and the possibility of using recyclable materials," says Prof. Dr. Maik Feldmann, Head of the "Polymer Applications" business unit at the Fraunhofer IMWS. "The JEC Award gives us a tailwind for the further development of the technology. For example, we are looking at applications in the car body sector, interior components
with decorative surfaces or the use of sandwich materials made from high-performance thermoplastics."
The storage compartment flap produced as a demonstrator will be on display at the ThermHex Waben GmbH booth (Booth 6P108) at the JEC World plastics trade fair in Paris from March 4-6, 2025.
(13.01.2025)