The replacement of steel, magnesium and aluminium with composite alternatives are among the objectives of new projects recognised in the automotive and transportation product and process categories of the 2025 JEC Composites Innovation Awards.

New parts

Röchling Automotive, headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, for example, has led a consortium developing a thermoplastic composite roof beam for the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabrio premium convertible which is traditionally made from magnesium.

This new solution eliminates the traditional visible plastic trim, achieving a sleek, uninterrupted aesthetic. Using a hybrid moulding process, the lightweight component surpasses the design limitations of magnesium while reducing weight by 700 grams and the number of parts by 50%. It has now been proven in series application and provides high mechanical performance and durability.

Jaguar Land Rover in the UK has led the SOCA – Sustainably Optimised Composite Automotive – project with a focus on developing carbon composite body-in-white vehicle parts that can compete with aluminium in terms of CO2 footprint, performance, weight and cost.

In another project led by Belgium’s Syensqo with partners Volvo and ZF Automotive, a new thermoplastic outboard housing – a traditionally metal component – has been developed. The part is manufactured using Xencor HPPA long glass fibre composite reinforcements, achieving a 40% weight reduction and enhanced corrosion resistance and durability. It is also said to provide exceptional dimensional stability and resistance to corrosion.

New processes

A new process for the manufacture of thermoplastic composite semi-pregs has been developed in France by Forvia and partners, enabling the use of recycled PET, which is be mixed with long chopped fibres or continuous woven fabrics to yield materials with properties similar to those of regular organosheets or thermoplastic glass mats (GMT).

The batch-based process involves stacking layers of glass fabrics and thermoplastic films to create low CO2 footprint sheets with between 25-60% recycled content, aiming at applications in automotive battery housings or body-in-white reinforcements. The sheets can be further formed and shaped by compression moulding, enabling near-net shape products with high mechanical properties.

Germany’s Fraunhofer IMWS has worked with Daimler Truck and othert partners on the fully automated production of 3D-moulded components in a material-efficient lightweight sandwich construction. The potential of this hybrid technology has been demonstrated in a storage compartment cover for a truck cab. The 3D shaping of the part is realised by thermoforming of a semi-finished thermoplastic sandwich panel in a closed tool, which also enables additional functionalisation by injection moulding for the integration of hinges and fasteners.

Finally, DITF, the Denkendorf-based institute of textile and fibre research, has led a group which has developed an energy-efficient and high-productivity selective curing UV pultrusion process for manufacturing corrosion-resistant glass fibre composite link rods. The rods are up to 40 % lighter than steel counterparts and have been reshaped inline, making them ideal for automotive applications.

Curing the material with UV light in an optically transparent die enables faster production and precise control over material properties.

Collaboration

Each year, the JEC Innovation Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and collaborative efforts within the composites industry. Over the past 27 years, the programme has engaged more than 2,100 companies worldwide, recognising 258 organisations and 670 partners for their breakthroughs and impactful partnerships. The awards focus on projects that demonstrate strong partner engagement across the value chain, technical complexity and significant commercial potential.

The winners of the JEC Innovation Awards 2025 will be revealed during the JEC World 2025 Premiere to be held on January 13th in Paris and live online.

www.roechling.com

www.jaguarlandrover.com

www.syensqo.com

www.forvia.com

www.imws.fraunhofer.de

www.ditf.de

www.jec-world.events