JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #52 - October 2009 - 36

SPECIAL FEATURE Innovation Lightweight Design leads to fewer emissions Energy efficiency and reduced C02 emissions have quickly become hot topics within the commercial vehicle industry. The transport and logistics sector primarily expects manufacturers to reduce the tare or unladen weight of vehicles. AN INTERVIEW WITH STEFAN BACHSTEIN, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR , LAMILUXPLAN FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITES DIVISION, LAMILUX HEINRICH STRUNZ GMBH even major mechanical impact without any damage. If damage should still occur, even on a large scale, it is easily remedied. Moreover, composites are non-corrosive, weatherproof and UV resistant, all of which results in a long-lasting. The material is also food-safe. JCM: What advantages can the commercial vehicle industry gain from composites? S. B.: A vehicle’s tare or unladen weight can be reduced dramatically. Let me give you a few figures with regard to surface layers typically used in sandwich elements: Whereas steel 0.6 mm thick has an absolute weight of 4.7 kg per m2, our 2.0 mm-thick fibre reinforced composite weighs just 2.7 kg. With its 3.2 kg, aluminium 1.2 mm thick is also clearly heavier. This means composites can bring a 40% reduction in body weight compared with steel and a 15% reduction in comparison with aluminium. The weight reduction produces a direct benefit due to a higher loading capacity, i.e. a greater payload and, consequently, lower transport costs as well as a decrease in fuel consumption. JEC Composites Magazine: How can composites make a difference in vehicles? STEFAN BACHSTEIN: Composites are an ideal material for different sections of truck bodies and trailers. They can be used as a surface layer in sandwich elements for sidewalls and roof structures, as well as for flooring surfaces. We are talking about extremely sturdy, yet very lightweight materials which reduce the overall vehicle body weight. This, in turn, leads to fewer emissions. JCM: What are their specific characteristics? S. B.: Composites have real advantages compared with conventional materials such as aluminium or metal. First of all, strength and durability which I mentioned earlier. The material firmly resists hail storms and JCM: How versatile is the material in adapting to its future use? S. B.: Our composites are a customizable material. We are thus well experienced in supplying the ideal material for all trailer components, such as different interior and exterior surface sheets for sidewalls and roof structures and extremely firm, anti-slip coverings for floors. We can manufacture special variations for each of these sections. Along with excellent physical and chemical properties, this versatility also includes being able to incorporate the colour directly into the upper gelcoat layer. JCM: Are there any other uses for your material in day-to-day goods transportation? S. B.: Yes, our material can be produced with a pore-free surface. This means it is very easy to clean, so it fulfils other hygiene requirements for food transportation application. Moreover, when combined with PU or XPS foam in sandwich elements, our composites make good use of excellent heat insulation properties and truly excel in terms of low thermal conductivity when compared with materials such as steel or aluminium. > Booth F15 Lamilux has created great innovation potential with lightweight, sturdy composite materials for a wide spectrum of industrial applications. Lamilux Anti Slip is a composite material manufactured in a continuous, reproducible production process. It combines low specific weight and excellent rigidity with a highly beneficial, uniformly-distributed product characteristic – anti-slip capability. A layer of quartz sand or granite granulate is applied to the surface of this extremely robust resin/glass fibre composite material during the lamination process. This ensures the product achieves top marks with regard to its anti-slip properties when tested in accordance with DIN 51130. Lamilux Anti Slip is particularly suitable for coating floors in the logistics and transport sectors where industrial goods need to be reliably secured against slipping. The continuous manufacturing process can vary the anti-slip texture to ensure the coating suits customer requirements. The texture is regulated by changing the size, type (quartz sand, granite granulate, plastic chips) and quantity of grains. www.lamilux.com Transportation Extremely stable and light GRP with anti-slip coating jec composites magazine / No52 October 2009

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #52 - October 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #52 - October 2009