Henkel and RLE Use Epoxy-Based Structural Foam to Demonstrate Lightweighting Potential in Hybrid Automotive Body Parts

In a joint study, Henkel and RLE International have examined and validated the potential of high-performance structural foam for lightweighting in automotive body and closure parts. The study has revealed that fiber-reinforced polymer components with structural foam ribbing and reinforcements can save more than 40 kg of weight per car vs. conventional all-metal designs.

Body components and especially closures have always been in the focus of lightweighting in automotive engineering, since they form some of the biggest parts of vehicles. Even one tenth of a millimeter in thickness can mean several kilos in overall weight, with subsequent effects on fuel, electrical power consumption, and carbon emissions. In most modern cars, however, the engineering limit on thickness and steel grades are definitely a challenge, so further thickness reductions can create problems in meeting the required mechanical strength and crash protection.