Burscheid, Germany -- Johnson Controls is developing innovative lightweight automotive parts using fibre-reinforced composites that will reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy, the automotive seating and interiors company said in a 6 June announcement.
The project, called Camisma, is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project funds research that seeks to replace steel and light alloys with fibre-reinforced composites (FRCs), including carbon fibre, in automotive designs.
Partner organisations working with Johnson Controls include: Evonik Industries, Jacob Plastics GmbH, Toho Tenax Europe GmbH and the Technical University Aachen. The Camisma project has an initial timeline of three years.
FRCs are considered beneficial because they are high-strength and lighter in weight, Johnson Controls noted in the statement. The company, which makes seating and automotive parts using polyurethane foam, said that to date FRCs have been too expensive for use in automobile production because of increasing raw material prices. However, the Camisma project aims to address these challenges, the company said.
"
