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Composites

Owens Corning and Sogefi present lightweight glass fibre reinforcements at JEC Europe

The new composite coil spring is made of glass fibre reinforced polymer and weighs less than traditional springs made of steel.

11th March 2015

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Paris

Transport/​Aerospace, Industrial

The innovation is on display at the Owens Corning booth at the JEC Europe 2015 composites show and conferences that takes place this week in Paris, France.

The new composite coil spring patented by Sogefi, a specialist in the automotive components sector is made of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) and weighs 40-70% less than traditional springs made of steel, the company reports.

Mechanical performance

In terms of mechanical performance, GFRP materials are designed to resist fatigue and dampen noise and vibration. They are also said to be resistant to chemical corrosion (for instance, from wheel cleaners) and to gravel impact.

“The new springs can be mounted on cars and light commercial vehicles with no change to the suspension system, guaranteeing the vehicle a weight reduction of 4-6 kilograms (depending on the type of vehicle and the design of the spring) and a significantly reduced unsprung mass, thus improving driving precision,” Sogefi reports.

“The replacement of steel by materials that are not subject to corrosion also guarantees a lower noise level and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions (up to – 0.5 g per km).”

Weight reduction

“Taking weight out of cars is mandatory to meet CO2 emission regulations and fuel economy standards. Glass fibre reinforced composites provide the opportunity for significant part weight reduction compared to steel,” Owens Corning explains.

“Owens Corning is proud of its contribution to Sogefi’s innovation. The company continues to work on light-weighting solutions in structural composites applications such as floor systems, pillars, roof and door modules, bumper beams, and seat structures.”

Successful collaboration

Sogefi, a leader in engine systems and flexible components for suspension systems, wanted to reduce suspension weight, moving from metal to a new composite solution. Owens Corning customized a glass fibre reinforcement especially for Sogefi’s composite coil spring project, to ensure compatibility with their manufacturing process and to help meet demanding performance requirements.

The initial design and industrial development of the composite coil spring results from close collaboration between Sogefi and Owens Corning since 2009. Throughout the project, Owens Corning brought its deep knowledge of glass fibre science and composites use, including best practices and performance benefits.

At the end of 2014, the GFRP coil springs manufactured by Sogefi were launched in serial production on the European car market.

www.owenscorning.com

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