Development of Hybrid Metal-Composite Components for Vehicle Lightweighting

PROJECT COST:

1 833 782 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

753 782 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

The transportation industry is currently facing major challenges related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. One of the key challenges is significantly reducing vehicle weight to increase the range of electric vehicles and decrease fuel consumption in internal combustion vehicles (until their phase-out). Despite substantial progress achieved using materials such as aluminum, magnesium, ultra-high-strength steels, and structural composites, the industry continues to seek innovative, cost-effective solutions for achieving significant weight reductions. One of the most promising approaches is the development of hybrid components that combine metal with structural composites. These hybrid structures aim to leverage the low cost of metals (e.g., steel) and the low density of advanced composites to produce lightweight and affordable vehicle components. This project proposes the development of a rapid and cost-effective forming process in which metal and continuous or long-fiber structural composites are shaped simultaneously. This approach is expected to enable weight reductions on the order of 40% to 50%.
Following the development of this new manufacturing process, industrial partners will be able to explore new business opportunities within the transportation sector. Furthermore, by contributing to the development of more energy-efficient and fully electric vehicles, the research will directly address the critical issue of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transportation industry.