Solutions for clean transport at Composites UK webinar

The webinar, hosted by the trade association for the UK composites industry, will focus on the use of fiber polymer composites in the manufacturing of lightweight enclosures for electric vehicles. Exel Composites is one of the five composites manufactures presenting at the webinar, each discussing the various uses of composites in EV manufacturing.

Presenting at the webinar on behalf of Exel Composites is Jari Sopanen, Segment Owner for transportation, vehicle solutions, who oversees Exel Composites' entire transport offering. The company, which manufactures a range of fiberglass and carbon fiber profiles for transport applications such as automotive, buses and coaches, trains and trucks, has a growing number of customers in the EV sector.

Composite materials have a high strength to weight ratio, which is widely appreciated throughout the transport industry. This means that composites can offer the same, if not more strength than some metals, while reducing total weight.

“Reducing vehicle weight increases fuel economy, which makes vehicles less costly and more environmentally friendly to run,” added Sopanen. “This is vital in the challenge to boost energy efficiency and suppress ‘range anxiety’ — something EV manufacturers are trying to tackle. Weight reduction also helps vehicles to perform better.

Sopanen will explain the benefits of pultrusion, a continuous composite manufacturing process, for the BEV market. High volume production brings cost efficiencies, and combined with joint design and engineering, high quality and cost competitive composite solutions are also possible.

“Composites also have great insulation properties, which eliminate the need for additional insulation around the enclosure, something that metal counterparts require. No matter how big or small the weight reduction, fuel economy is boosted and that’s a significant step in improving environmental impact and supporting cleaner transport,” explained Sopanen.

“Overall, composites offer many benefits in the design, manufacturing and performance of EV battery enclosures. The Composites UK webinar provides us with a platform to discuss this in depth, helping to drive the UK composites industry forward. For those reasons, I look forward to presenting and sharing Exel’s knowledge.”