Grant: Automotive Partnership Canada Project
University of Toronto
$511,550.00
Design and manufacturing of direct mirco- and long-fibre lightweight composites
EF 2015-16
Résumé
The automotive industry is one of the core markets for long-fibre thermoplastic (LFT) composites because of
their inherent advantages such as weight-effectiveness, structural dimensional stability, high strength, enhanced
modulus, superior creep resistance, and heat resistance. There is always market pressure for innovation and
revolution to reduce cost, fuel consumption, and weight of the vehicle. Direct long-tibre thermoplastic (0-LFT
compounding and molding is the new market trend in the automotive industry for manufacturing structural
body parts as well as exterior body panels. While numerous advances have been made in the manufacturing
methods of 0-LFT technology, particularly in fatigue behavior and damping properties, it still finds limited
applications in the North American automotive industry. This is mostly because it requires high throughput
production (500,000 units or more) to be cost-effective. Use of natural fibres in the 0-LFT compounding
process has been impeded by the lack of availability of continuous long fibre and the lack of requirements
(such as thermal degradation, and compatibility) identified by the automotive industry. The objective of this
research is to develop high performance cellulose fibre reinforced composites by developing a unique and high
throughput Microfibre-Direct Long Fibre processing Technology (MF-DLFT). This technology integrates
standard DLFT with the cellulose microfibre composite processing technology developed at the Univer.$ity of
Toronto (U ofT) to produce automotive parts using renewable and petrochemical-based polymers, reinforced
with continuous mineral fibres and discontinuous natural fibres. At this moment, the proposed technology is
currently beyond the means of all major Canadian research institutions, and thus, needs close working
collaboration with Ford Motor Co., one of the leading automotive manufacturers in Canada. The outcome of
this research will be a quantum leap forward in developing new automotive components by reducing the part
weight and will benefit Ford by helping them to fulfill their vision of utilizing the maximum amount of high
strength composite materials from renewable resources.
Programme
Automotive Partnership Canada Project
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Ontario, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
433821-2012
Name nom
Sain, Mohini
Department département
Forestry, Faculty of
Organization id
31
Institution établissement
University of Toronto
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2015
Competition year année de concours
2012
Award amount
511550
Program id
APCPJ
Program name en
Automotive Partnership Canada Project
Program name fr
Partenariat automobile du Canada
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
141
Committee name en
University/Industry
Committee name fr
Universités/industrie
Area of application code
1206
Area of application group en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application group fr
Avancement des connaissances
Area of application en
Engineering
Area of application fr
Génie
Research subject code
1702
Research subject group en
Design and manufacturing
Research subject group fr
Conception et fabrication
Research subject en
Advanced manufacturing
Research subject fr
Méthodes de fabrication avancées
Partie
3
Nb partie
5
Application title
Design and manufacturing of direct mirco- and long-fibre lightweight composites
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
The automotive industry is one of the core markets for long-fibre thermoplastic (LFT) composites because of
their inherent advantages such as weight-effectiveness, structural dimensional stability, high strength, enhanced
modulus, superior creep resistance, and heat resistance. There is always market pressure for innovation and
revolution to reduce cost, fuel consumption, and weight of the vehicle. Direct long-tibre thermoplastic (0-LFT
compounding and molding is the new market trend in the automotive industry for manufacturing structural
body parts as well as exterior body panels. While numerous advances have been made in the manufacturing
methods of 0-LFT technology, particularly in fatigue behavior and damping properties, it still finds limited
applications in the North American automotive industry. This is mostly because it requires high throughput
production (500,000 units or more) to be cost-effective. Use of natural fibres in the 0-LFT compounding
process has been impeded by the lack of availability of continuous long fibre and the lack of requirements
(such as thermal degradation, and compatibility) identified by the automotive industry. The objective of this
research is to develop high performance cellulose fibre reinforced composites by developing a unique and high
throughput Microfibre-Direct Long Fibre processing Technology (MF-DLFT). This technology integrates
standard DLFT with the cellulose microfibre composite processing technology developed at the Univer.$ity of
Toronto (U ofT) to produce automotive parts using renewable and petrochemical-based polymers, reinforced
with continuous mineral fibres and discontinuous natural fibres. At this moment, the proposed technology is
currently beyond the means of all major Canadian research institutions, and thus, needs close working
collaboration with Ford Motor Co., one of the leading automotive manufacturers in Canada. The outcome of
this research will be a quantum leap forward in developing new automotive components by reducing the part
weight and will benefit Ford by helping them to fulfill their vision of utilizing the maximum amount of high
strength composite materials from renewable resources.
