Automotive market
Globally, light vehicles (with a total rated weight of less than 8,500 pounds) consume approximately 5 billion pounds (2,268,000 tons) of composite materials annually. Thermoplastic matrix composites occupy most of the volume. Composite materials and other lightweight materials have experienced strong growth in recent years, but in the coming year, the application of composite materials in the automotive field will face some disadvantages. The main growth inhibitors are the relatively flat global light vehicle market and the relaxation of US fuel economy standards. However, as OEMs continue to strive to reduce vehicle weight, growth opportunities will still exist.
The drop in US fuel economy standards is only a small setback for the global adoption of lightweight materials. Tighter control of carbon dioxide emissions outside the United States will continue to drive the need to reduce vehicle weight on global vehicle platforms. In addition, reducing weight is critical to expanding the use of electric vehicles. In this small but growing market segment, the pursuit of lightweight materials will continue. Despite the “pause” of US fuel economy regulations, people will continue to be interested in composite materials used to reduce the weight of automobiles.
In order to take advantage of this advantage, composite parts suppliers will have to increase their value proposition rather than substitute products. Over the past decade, high-strength steel and aluminum have been the biggest beneficiaries of North American original equipment manufacturers ’efforts to reduce weight, especially mild steel. It is the benchmark for automotive steel. Obviously, if composite materials are to become the first choice for mainstream auto weight loss efforts, more work needs to be done.
In the near future, the application of composite materials in automobiles will face challenges and opportunities. Disadvantages include relatively flat global production prospects and the decline in North American lightweight materials regulations, which will hinder the growth of composite materials. However, the demand for lightweight automotive materials will continue to grow. Compared with aluminum and other alternative materials, composite materials can exhibit cost-effective properties, thereby winning new uses in difficult environments.
Aerospace market
The aerospace industry remains one of the major users of composite materials. According to a report by market intelligence and consulting company Morder Intelligence, in 2018, the aerospace and defense industry's carbon fiber market revenue share was close to 50%, almost equivalent to the total of automobiles, alternative energy, construction, infrastructure and sports goods. The report also said that the increase in the amount of carbon fiber used in aircraft, coupled with the increasing number of aircraft placed on the market each year, is expected to provide tremendous growth opportunities for the carbon fiber market between 2019 and 2024.
In order to meet the aerospace's active demand, the composite materials industry needs to consider more than the development and supply of materials: the manufacturing process must undergo major technological advancements, and future engineers must be equipped with advanced tools to adapt to increasingly complex environments. Global aircraft manufacturers are actively seeking ways to increase manufacturing speed and efficiency through automation and innovative materials / processes. They focus on the "Future Factory" (also known as Industry 4.0 or Smart Manufacturing), where they combine information technology and operational technology.
With advances in sensor technology and manipulators, industrial robots can now perform unconventional complex functions, such as labor-intensive advanced composite material layups. Through the use of advanced sensors, process simulation software and online detection systems, labor-intensive nondestructive inspection can be automated, thereby minimizing failures and significantly improving the quality of parts. An online inspection system equipped with advanced sensors can be used to automatically identify manufacturing defects and enter digital information into machine learning algorithms in order to take corrective measures for subsequent manufacturing operations to improve the quality of parts.
Recent advances in heating technology and automated manufacturing technology have enabled thermoplastics to be used in automated manufacturing processes. In-situ consolidation eliminates secondary operations (such as vacuum bag and autoclave / curing oven curing), thereby significantly reducing manufacturing costs and increasing productivity. In addition, using adaptable automated moldless manufacturing technology, through the coordinated movement of the robot, three-dimensional composite materials are manufactured without the need for autoclave.
The future of composite materials in the aerospace industry is bright, but it requires cooperation between government agencies, aircraft manufacturers, equipment suppliers, material suppliers and universities to ensure that the right materials are developed and created to satisfy aircraft The advanced technology and manufacturing process required.
(To be continued)