Lightweight component suppliers at HANNOVER MESSE Industrial Supply

Under the label of 'Lightweighting from Baden-Wuerttemberg', small and large suppliers from the southwest region of Germany will be presenting their products and services. The Audi R8 is a prime example of intelligent multi-material design and lightweighting technology. The Audi Space Frame (ASF) integrated into the Audi sports car manufactured in Baden-Wuerttemberg weighs in at only 200kg with the top model consisting of 79% aluminum and 13% carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Light but expensive CFRP is only used in components where it performs better than aluminum due to the demands of the design.

Serial production potential is an important factor for manufacturers in planning the economic implementation of CFRP. The preform technology of Dieffenbacher GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau which will be on display at the joint stand offers the first means of producing complex dried carbon fiber preforms through fully automatised production processes with short cycles of 90 seconds.

The increasing importance of lightweight but robust metals such as titanium can be seen at the stand of Prototechnik & Co. KG which produces exhaust systems out of the corrosion resistant and extremely strong metal which weigh only about half as much as other comparable products.

The Audi R8 also integrates magnesium injection molded components. C & C Bark Metalldruckguss und Formenbau will show how lightweight magnesium parts can be built using energy efficient methods that implement their hot chamber die casting procedure.

Manufacturers can benefit from the small but significant weight reduction that can be achieved through the implementation of the lightweight and precise plastic gears produced by Werner Bauser. The advantage of these gears: weight reduction of up to 40% compared to similar components. Lightweight core materials such as the foam materials such as those created by Gaugler & Lutz oHG are also finding more and more applications that will be on display at the joint booth.

Weippert Kunststofftechnik will be presenting bolts and screws made of high density plastics which can offer a weight reduction of up to 50% over conventional products thanks to the addition of fiberglass in the material mix.

TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik will display a special innovation which smoothly combines a metal and plastic bond which will be demonstrated in a car component. The bond does not require any adhesive or bonding agent, allowing for the construction of completely new component forms which reduce weight and do not need long drying times for their production.

Fastner GmbH Leichtmetalltechnik will present in Hannover a range of lightweight safety components which are welded out of aluminum cast parts, profiles and forged aluminum. Demonstrating the advantages of simulation in lightweight design, Meshparts will display specialised FE models which can be generated up to 100 times faster using computer modeling.