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Composites

Clemson University students develop next generation car reinforced by TeXtreme

The concept will be introduced to the market in 2020 under the vehicle brand of Toyota.

13th April 2016

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Boras

Transport/​Aerospace, Sustainable

The team of students from the Clemson University have developed and engineered the Deep Orange 6, “a next-generation Toyota concept vehicle”, which has been unveiled this week at the SAE International 2016 World Congress and Exhibition in Detroit, MI. 

By using TeXtreme carbon fabrics in its door panels, rear hatch, dashboard, and bumpers and cladding, significant weight savings, improved mechanical performance and superior surface smoothness was achieved, according to the research team.

“With our exposed CFRP interior components on Deep Orange 6, it was a high priority to use a woven carbon fibre fabric with a unique weave pattern. Textreme’s materials exceeded our expectations, as it has given us a beautiful finish on the interior, is a high quality product that is easy to lay up without distorting the weave, and the spread tow tapes leave a very smooth finish on the final part,” said Dr Johnell Brooks, an associate professor in Clemson University’s graduate Department of Automotive Engineering.

Advantages of carbon fibre

Car designers face many challenges when working on new designs and are always searching for new ways to make future designs faster and stronger, while still achieving better emissions performance.

Therefore, composites have never been more relevant to today’s automotive industry. Automakers see the advantages of carbon fibre and how it can reduce the weight of conventional vehicles.

Deep Orange 6

Deep Orange 6 was designed to create a value proposition for a young generation that has little money to spare, that have less interest in vehicle ownership than past generations, need a personal mobility solution for commuting at low cost of ownership. Things like the desire for extra space, range and performance were also taken into account.

Deep Orange 6 – Toyota UBOX using TeXtreme Technology. On the right: Andreas Martsman VP Marketing & Sales of TeXtreme. © TeXtreme/Clemson University

The concept will be introduced to the market in 2020 under the vehicle brand of Toyota. “The Clemson team has been very good at utilizing the unique benefits of TeXtreme and designing the composite parts balancing the mechanical properties and weight savings to get the optimal results on the car. We are proud to support this project and the development ofcomposites in mass-market applications,” said Henrik Blycker, CEO of Oxeon AB, makers of TeXtreme.

Unique material

TeXtreme is a unique material that differs from conventional carbon fibre materials due to its proprietary production methods which create an ultralight and ultrathin spread tow carbon fibre reinforcement, the company reports.

TeXtreme Technology is flexible and tow-size independent, which enables the development of optimized reinforcement solutions tailor-made for specific application needs. Utilization of TeXtreme Spread Tow carbon fabrics and carbon UD tapes by manufacturers of advanced aerospace, industrial and sports products confirms that 20-30% lighter composite parts can be produced.

Its track record of contributing to successful product releases from companies including Bauer Hockey, Prince Tennis, Cobra Puma Golf, and Bell Helmets, along with its use in Formula 1, NASCAR and the ORACLE TEAM USA America’s Cup boat, has proven the real-world benefits of the TeXtreme Technology.

www.textreme.com

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