Hybrid thermoplastic composites for automotive applications - Development and manufacture of a lightweight rear floor structure in multi-material design

In a holistic lightweight approach a new vehicle concept, including a structural hybrid thermoplastic rear floor part, has been developed within the publicly funded research project ""SMiLE - System-integrated multi-material lightweight design for e-mobility"". The properties of the individual materials are combined to achieve a high degree of functional integration. For this purpose a novel compression molding process was developed: the so-called ""local advanced tailored D-LFT process"". In this process continuous-fiber-reinforced structures are overmolded only at specific sites to integrate load application elements and to generate higher stiffness in the areas where it is needed. Advanced simulation models are applied to optimize the manufacturing and to validate the technical feasibility of this innovative part. Based on these simulation models an advanced process chain was developed and set up at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, to enable the manufacturing of the lightweight rear floor structure in multi-material design.