Program: Horizon 2020 (SME Instrument)
Beneficiary Phase I, Seal of Excellence Phase II
Advanced composite materials to reduce the weight of structures in the land transport sector through the pultrusion process. The automotive and railway industries aim to decrease vehicle weight in order to meet the requirements of new legislation and/or reduce operational energy costs. The best alternative, due to its characteristics and price, is the implementation of carbon-based composite materials.
Currently, these materials are expensive, and their manufacturing processes do not meet the production rates required by the automotive sector. For this reason, MOTIONPult was developed. This project focuses on the creation of a hybrid composite system made of glass fiber and carbon fiber through a continuous process such as pultrusion, obtaining materials with a 15–25% carbon fiber volume fraction, and 70–75% lighter than steel.
MOTIONPult will be the first continuous pultrusion process designed to supply manufacturers in the automotive and railway sectors. With this project, our goal is to break into the lightweight materials market, addressing consumer needs (cost, production efficiency, and aesthetic finish) that are not fully met by current alternatives.
