Henkel has opened a new test facility for composites in Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
The new Composite Lab is for automotive customers in Asia to develop and test composite parts, and to establish the best process conditions to commercialize ideas, Henkel says.
The lab features Henkel’s high pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) equipment which includes a 380 tons press for trials close to series production conditions.
‘As vehicle manufacturers worldwide look to reduce weight in cars and trucks to help boost fuel economy and reduce emissions, they are having to set aside the mindset that has dictated traditional material and process choices, and look at new and emerging technologies,’ said
Frank Kerstan, global program manager, automotive composites. ‘Both our Composite Labs offer OEMs and Tier-One suppliers the opportunity to work together with our experts to learn first-hand what the options and possibilities may be for using advanced composite materials with short production cycle times in their vehicles.’
This story is reprinted from material from Henkel, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.