Plasan Launches Drive to Put Carbon Composites in Cars

Design News Exclusive: A Vermontcompany is launching a major effort that could put carbon fiber compounds inthe driver's seat for auto design. The move coincides with declining demand forcarbon fiber composites in aircraft and stability in carbon fiber costs.

"The target of our research is to take us from 7,000 vehiclesets a year to 50,000 or 60,000 a year," says Gary Lownsdale, engineeringmanager for Plasan Carbon Compositesof Bennington, VT. The company opened this year a newR&D center aimed at significant improvements in both process and materialstechnology.

"We're getting down and really trying to understand whathappens in the curing process so that individual resins can be tailored for theprocess," says Lownsdale. The goals are to boost productivity, a chronicproblem for any type of thermoset curing process, and to improve surfacequality. The Plasan unit is the global leader in Class A surface carbon fiberparts.

Lownsdale says Plasan is trying to develop a newprocess that could make carbon fiber composites for automotive withthermoplastic resins. That would be an industry first, and require a newlow-pressure process technology. Injection molding would not work. Compositesare loaded with more than 50 percent levels of carbon fiber and their exactorientation is critical.

Big developments are coming in structural car parts madewith carbon fiber composites, says Lownsdale. Examples are energy managementsystems, load floors, battery compartments and chassis components.

New automated assembly processes being tested now by Plasanare expected to yield better economics for carbon fiber composite components.

One of the big areas of development is in computersimulation. "We've found you can't go to one place and buy an off-the-shelfdesign guide for carbon components," says Lownsdale. "All of the pieces are outthere. It's just that they haven't been pulled together and put in one place."Plasan is working with other companies actively developing carbon fibercomposites, including those that make aircraft and wind turbine components.

The money for Plasan's development is coming from its parentin Israel,which produces military components made of carbon fiber.

A special grade of carbon fiber is made for automotiveapplications. For one, the resins are faster curing, allowing higherthroughputs. "Also, you have to pay attention to dynamic conditions, as well ascrush and energy absorption," says Lownsdale. "Often in aerospace, they'rehappy if they can do two parts a day. We need to do 200 sets a week."

Plasan had three finalists in the most recentSPE Automotive Awards competition. Those parts were for special effects onsports cars, such as spoilers. The new developments target fundamental carapplications.

Plasan Launches Drive to Put Carbon Composites in Cars A