These laboratories will support relationships with Dow's automotive and commercial transportation customers, and will have a focus on carbon fibre composites.
| These important composite technology facilities demonstrate Dow Automotive Systems’ commitment to the development of lightweight composite solutions critical to meeting industry fuel efficiency and emissions targets. In two key locations, we now offer critical on-site composites material and processing development capabilities that will further our expertise in this area as well as provide immediate benefits to customers investing in these technologies. |
| Peter Cate, Global Strategic Marketer for Composites, Dow Automotive Systems |
The 200 m2 Composite Technology Center in Freienbach, Switzerland, is equipped with a large high pressure resin transfer moulding (RTM) machine for prototype production.
The Freienbach facility also includes an Adhesives Training Centre where customers and distributors can learn about different adhesive technologies and the benefits of their use with composites.
The 465 m2 centre in Midland, Michigan, USA, houses technologies associated with direct long fibre processing, prepreg, preforming, compression moulding and laminating. This site is co-located with key Dow corporate R&D capabilities and is close to the Dow Automotive Center of Competence for Adhesive Technology Development in North America.
Dow's carbon fibre focus
Dow Automotive Systems is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, which is currently forming a joint venture with Turkish carbon fibre producer Aksa to manufacture carbon fibre for the composites industry.
Earlier this year, Dow Automotive Systems also announced a partnership with Ford to research the use of carbon fibre composites in high-volume vehicles. The companies said that if this development work is successful, carbon fibre components could start appearing on new Ford vehicles "in the latter part of this decade."
Cutting the weight of new cars and trucks by up to 750 lbs by the end of the decade is a key component of Ford's strategy to improve fuel efficiency.