Leverkusen – The LANXESS High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit is appearing at the Composites Europe 2012 trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany. At a joint stand for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, it is participating together with other exhibitors representing industry, professional associations and universities, such as “kunststoffland NRW” and the “NanoMikro+Werkstoffe.NRW” cluster. “We are taking advantage of this key event in the international composites industry to present concepts for solutions in lightweight construction based on hybrid technology for sustainable green mobility,” says Hartwig Meier, head of Global Product and Applications Development for HPM.
Focus on nylon composite sheet hybrid technology
The LANXESS display focuses on various demonstration items made of sheet steel or nylon composite sheet hybrid technology. “We want to use them to demonstrate the high mechanical strength of hybrid components and the great potential of lightweight construction for reducing weight, particularly since it is already well established in volume production,” Meier says. One highlight among the exhibits is the prototype of a brake pedal that was engineered by ZF Friedrichshafen AG in partnership with LANXESS and Bond-Laminates GmbH, Brilon. Fabricated using nylon composite sheet hybrid technology, the concept component is the world’s first automotive brake pedal made of polyamide reinforced with continuous glass fibers that is suitable for high-volume production. It is 50 percent lighter than comparable brake pedals made of steel, but has the same mechanical strength.
HiAnt – Engineering expertise benefits customers
The brake pedal is an example of the comprehensive know-how in materials, design, simulation and process engineering that LANXESS has bundled under the name HiAnt to provide customers with tailored services. For example, the experts from the business unit HPM used a forming simulation to calculate localized differences in fiber orientation in the formed nylon composite sheet. “We can now precisely calculate all the key properties of components made of hybrid nylon composite sheet, such as their crash strength. That enables us to design parts like this on the computer quickly, cost-effectively and in consideration of the appropriate loads,” Meier explains.
Green mobility – A core strategic topic at LANXESS
This fiscal year, LANXESS is focusing its activities on the core strategic topic of green mobility. The campaign targets innovative technologies and products for the safe, eco-friendly and resource-conserving transport of people and goods, such as high-performance rubber for fuel-saving green tires with low rolling resistance.
