Netherlands-headquartered TenCate Advanced Composites NV has signed a memorandum of understanding with Otelfingen, Switzerland-based Kringlan Composites AG to develop automotive part manufacturing using thermoplastic technologies.
A spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Kringlan aims to produce lighter, stronger and more cost-effective parts for the automotive sector and said it would work with TenCate's thermoplastic expertise.
The companies said the focus of the project will be on high-performance parts that enhance safety and reduce weight.
Composite wheels are highly effective to generate weight reduction and reduced fuel consumption, the pair said in a statement.
"Acceleration of a lightweight wheel, some 30-40 percent lighter, will cost less energy and lowers the CO2 emission of the vehicle," the companies said in a news release.
"The use of thermoplastic composite enables series production, because of much shorter production time. A complex and technical part, the wheel should have a high impact resistance and is sometimes part of the safety structure, which calls for an advanced and high performance composites material.
"In recent years, Kringlan Composites has developed a patented technology which can be used in the future for the series production of composites wheels, which comply with the highest performance standards," the two companies said.
TenCate Advanced Composites is based in Almelo, the Netherlands.
