The use of composite materials instead of steel to make automotive parts is a lightweight, sustainable solution that reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. This also applies to commercial vehicles such as trucks, which are used in large quantities every day. Carbon Truck & Trailer GmbH (CarbonTT) uses carbon fiber reinforced composite materials to design truck chassis. It has the proprietary technology and various intellectual property rights to manufacture and assemble these chassis.
Lightweight components also enable commercial vehicle manufacturers to meet increasingly stringent EU limits. Gerret Kalkoffen, Chairman of the CarbonTT Board of Directors, explained: "Logistics companies can use the vehicle to transport larger goods and operate more efficiently. In terms of motor dynamics, the light chassis makes up for the weight of the battery, while having simpler assembly and excellence Crash performance. "
Material supplier Covestro has developed such composite parts. It can be continuously produced by pultrusion with Baydur PUL polyurethane matrix system. Benedikt Kilian, Process Development Project Manager of Covestro's Polyurethane Division, said: "With this system, we have many advantages over traditional materials, thereby breaking through the boundaries. The material properties of the end components also meet strict OEM specifications while achieving A lighter structure. Within a few seconds, the Baydur PUL low viscosity system can penetrate millions of carbon fibers perfectly, enabling CarbonTT to achieve significant productivity gains. "
CarbonTT has been used to develop and optimize the design of composite material parts to meet mechanical requirements, minimize weight, and minimize costs. Covestro supports CarbonTT with its Baydur PUL system and expertise in optimal pultrusion. Pultrusion tests have been successfully carried out to prove the benefits of PU systems, and are expanding.
The pultrusion process is a highly automated continuous production process that is currently being industrialized. This makes it possible to efficiently produce differentiated and complex composite parts, especially when suitable polyurethane resins are used.
Compared with other resin systems used for pultrusion, Baydur PUL has superior composition and processing quality. Components with a PU matrix have excellent mechanical properties, enabling customers to develop thin profiles and use less complex fiber reinforcement where possible. The viscosity of the system is also very low and the reactivity is high, which allows customers to produce very efficiently at high throughput rates.