COMPOSITES LEADERSHIP FORUM

Automotive

Composites Group: Henry Sarel-Cooke

Automotive Compositives Group Chair

GKN Wheels & Structures

Nov 2018

Composites Leadership Forum 1

Automotive Composite Group

Established by the Automotive Council’s

Manufacturing Group and the CLF. The

Group is chaired by Henry Sarel-Cooke of

GKN.

Aim: “to facilitate development of UK

technology capability and supply chain

capacity to deliver high productivity

manufacturing of globally competitive, higher

volume composite structures and

components”.

The ACG has set targets, mapped out the

supply chain development required and is

now seeking to fill gaps that could restrict

future development.

It is working with Government and funding

bodies to identify funding mechanisms to

facilitate this.

Participants include:

– McLaren

– JLR

– Nissan

– Williams

– GKN

– Solvay

– Gordon Murray Design

– Nippon Electric Glass

– Nottingham University

– National Composites Centre

– Dept for International Trade

– Innovate UK

– APC

2Composites Leadership Forum

Lightweighting

Drivers

CO2 targets & push for improved air

quality drive increased energy efficiency.

Weight reduction lowers CO2 in ICE &

engines & brakes can also be smaller.

Lightweighting counters weight increase

due to greater inclusion of vehicle safety,

comfort and entertainment content.

In PHEVs and BEVs, batteries and

components make vehicles heavier than

ICE vehicles. Lightweighting also extends

range.

Challenges

Life cycle considerations pose challenges

for new materials and manufacturing

choices, often narrowing options

Steep CO2 reductions will require further

much more than incremental innovation in

weight reduction. Targets have been set to

drive innovation in vehicle materials,

design and manufacturing.

Weight reduction should be achieved

without unreasonable cost, safety or

emissions reduction.

Car 2015 2025 2035

Conventional vehicle weight Baseline -10 -> -15% -25 -> -30%

xEV weight Baseline -5 -> -7.5% -25 -> -30%

Recyclability 85% 85% 95%

Targets

CLF ACG Areas of Focus

• Delivery of the composites part of the Auto Council Light weighting

roadmap:

– ISCF Challenge fund bid ‘Materials for Future Mobility’ contains:

– Manufacturing Development - Composites Large Scale Project: Preforming

development led by HVMC, consortium including Bentley, Ford, JLR,

McLaren, Nissan, GKN, Gestamp.

– Materials Development – National Composites Materials Centre: Focused

on materials supply chain development.

• Engagement with more Auto OEMs and Tier 1s.

• Workshops to develop Innovate UK and APC collaborative

proposals.

• Supply chain mapping and analysis.

Auto Council Light weighting Roadmap

Lightweighting Roadmap - Composites

Modelling tools enable complex multi-material load-bearing structures.

High volume structural - Composites use where most valuable e.g. weight saving in unsprung mass and suspension. Automation to decrease takt timeHigh volume panels - Lightweight structural

composites increasing role. Roof panels a priority for lighter materials.

Powertrain - Selective lightweighting as process and materials develop e.g. conrods and propshaft.

Batteries - part consolidation & integrated features with lower weight. Process development for higher volume. Longer term batteries more readily integrated into vehicle structure

Seat for light-weighting if takt time reduced.

Embedded electrical systems

Reducing the takt time unlocks new applications at mid & high volume. Requires preforming & automation to increase speed, reduce waste and increase accuracy.

Joining - Development of mono-material processes for multi-materials such as multi-point joining (e.g. thermoplastic welding), bonding (e.g. quick cold cure resins), mechanical joining.

Surface treatments enable enhanced component performance such as thermal, hardness, low friction, aesthetics.

Next Generation Composite Manufacturing

(Composites Large Scale Project – CLSP)

Contact : compositesLSP@hvm.catapult.org.uk

Composite production projects underway

Programme Mission

Identifying, developing and transforming the UK supply chain for competitive high volume manufacturing of composites for automotive applications and allied markets.

Auto Council TARGET 2025AVERAGE weight reduction of existing

systems of 15%

ACG TARGET 2025TYPICAL on-cost not to exceed £5 per

kg of weight saved

ACG TARGET 2025EXISTING vehicle end of life recycling

> 85% recyclability

ACG TARGET 2025TYPICAL takt time 60s

Global automotive composite prediction (Persistence Market Research)

UK automotive composite prediction (DIT)

Upper

Lower

POTENTIAL MARKET IMPACT £3.5 bn p.a. by 2030

UK supply chain globally competitive

In place for window of opportunity

POTENTIAL MARKET OUTCOMES £3.5 bn p.a. by 2030

UK supply chain globally competitive

In place for window of opportunity

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Technology development:• Feasibility studies• Technology maturation• Supply chain MRL mapping• Cluster facilitation

£98.9m Total

Programme Value

(FY 18 – 22)

Capability Demonstration (mid TRL/MRL) including:• Nascent supply chain • Technology visibility in

application • Breadth of technical capabilities

Enabling capabilities e.g• Automation • Quality Assurance• CAE & Modelling

Programme Summary : Cost Breakdown

Scale up projects:• OEM & Tier 1 led • Co-funded through

Advanced Propulsion Centre support

Fibres & Precursors

Matrix & Formulation

Recycling/Environment

Composite Materials Support

Composites Leadership Forum 10

Sizing/ Surface/Additives

Inter-mediates

Part Production

Integration/ Assembly

EquipmentProducers

TIER2/TIER1/OEMs Product/Process TRL

5-10 yearsFor Aero/autoadoption

New Material TRL

5-25 yearsFor new

materialsinnovation

Currently supported by HVMC, ATI, APC, Innovate UK, CIMComp

Currently supported by (over subscribed) Innovate UK call for all materials. Strategic support proposed through National Composite Materials Centre (NCMC).

Materials development -key to optimising composite product development and increasing GVA.

Next Generation Composite Materials

Composites Leadership Forum 11

National Composite Materials Centre

CPI Formulation

Centre

NCC & AMRC

Preforming

AMRC Textiles

NCC & AMRC

Braiding

NIACE Textiles

FibrelineNew resin chemistry

Prepreg

DaresburyMultiscale modelliing

CMC

Industrial Steering Board

Blue spheres =Existing spokes

Red spheres = start-up and sustainment of new spokes over 5 years

Collaborative R&D Programme

University R&D Programme

HVM Catapult

Iteration to ensure material development facilitates process and product development

Economic and Social Impact

Composites Leadership Forum 12

Composites Leadership Forum

Potential UK Opportunity Post 2020

From 2020 onwardsUK Car

production (SMMT

estimate) 2020

Supercar (S)

Luxury (F)54%

(1.13M)

SUV (J)

Multi-

purpose (M)

Small (B)

Medium (C)

Large (D)

26%

(546k)

20%

(420k)

5%

(700k)

26%

(3.3M)

2.1M 14M

Steel &

Thermoplastic

Composites

EU Car

sales (EU28

actual) 2011

69%

(10M)

Exec (E)

Aluminium & Thermoset

Composites

Aluminium

& SteelAluminium,

Steel & TP

Composite

Passenger Car Market Segments

UK produces

high proportion

of heavier/

expensive cars

“lightweighting

opportunity”

Mini (A)

13

Thank you for your time

Composites Leadership Forum 14

clf@compositesuk.co.uk

www.compositesleadershipforum.com