TRB Lightweight Structures (Huntington, UK) announced the development of a composite underbody protection panel that can significantly improve impact absorption while reducing weight.
The company said that these panels are made of toughened TRB resin, using a cost-effective high-volume manufacturing process, which was developed simultaneously with this new solution, and is now operating in North America and the United Kingdom.
The new protection board uses a sandwich structure of advanced materials, intelligently layered to provide different impact absorption strength according to the location.
According to TRB, tests have shown that compared to steel solutions, the impact absorption rate typically doubles while the weight is halved. The board can be painted, but unlike steel, no paint is required for corrosion protection. The structure of these boards is light in weight, which can simplify installation and replacement.
"Skateboard chassis design needs to provide better battery protection for road and off-road vehicles," said Richard Holland, managing director of TRB Lightweight Structures. "Our approach leverages decades of knowledge in the development and testing of materials and manufacturing methods to provide a cost-effective solution for automotive components that can reduce weight and improve performance."
TRB will begin to showcase its products and technologies at the European Battery Show in Stuttgart on November 30.