Thermoplastic composite material to lightweight a structural truck module

Solvay, Renault Trucks and its partners have won the 2016 “JEC Innovation Award for Structural Parts in Automotive” using a thermoplastic composite material to build a front structural module of a truck, called the firewall. This new high performance composite material is based on Solvay Evolite thermoplastic resin reinforced with continuous glass fiber.

The module weighs 25% less than a similar metal model, while the number of parts used to assemble was divided by two, thanks to the pooling of the partners’ innovations in design, materials and manufacturing. Lightweighting materials increasingly replace metal parts or structures enabling airplane and automotive manufacturers to meet ever stricter regulations to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of their vehicles.

The award ceremony will take place at the JEC World, the largest international convention of composites professionals. The award recognizes the excellent results of collaboration in innovation among five industrial companies, led by Solvay and Renault Trucks.

In less than four years, they designed, manufactured and validated this new composite module. Assembled on a Renault Truck, it was tested on front crash, vibration and durability, showing it could meet the industry’s strictest safety requirements.

“Solvay is very proud that its thermoplastic composites material has withstood the harsh testing conditions of the truck industry, proving the excellent performance of the Evolite-based composite and increasing the role these composites can play in reducing carbone dioxide emissions. I would like to congratulate and thank our partners for this highly impressive result acknowledged by JEC“, said Nicolas Cudre-Mauroux, Solvay’s head of corporate research and innovation. “The recent acquisition of Cytec will further boost Solvay’s comprehensive expertise in high performance materials.”