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Automotive

With the start of the 2025 FIA Formula One (F1) World Championship in March, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is highlighting the key role that its members' fibre- and fabric-produc

Composite shields that protect from flames and are electrically insulating have been developed by Autoneum, of Winterthur, Switzerland, for use inside the battery housings of electric vehicles (EVs

Shawmut Corp celebrates a century of success and looks to the future

Shawmut Corp has been in continuous operation for more than one hundred years and is now the largest independent laminator of technical fabrics in the USA. John McCurry met with the company’s senior management to discuss the challenges and opportunities of supplying the automotive market, its approach to innovation and its plans for the future.

Producer of flax-fibre reinforcements Bcomp has formed a strategic collaboration with composites manufacturer SFG Composites to mass-produce flax-fibre composites for the automotive industry.

Autoneum is launching a version of its easily recyclable, sound-absorbing polyester (PES) material currently used for the production of trim elements for the boots (trunks) of cars for the manufact

Autoneum is to acquire a 70% share of a leading Chinese supplier of acoustic and thermal insulation components to the domestic automotive industry, Jiangsu Huanyu Group, following the signing of an

A method for overwrapping the rotors used in the electric motors for vehicles is being developed by Cygnet Texkimp and Bowman Power.

A flame-retardant (FR) and highly flexible nonwoven (Lastan) that can be incorporated into top covers and busbar protection sleeves to protect from thermal runaway (a cyclic, self-propagating proce

Autoneum has opened a new plant in Pune, India, where the production of carpet systems, interior trim, outer liners for wheelhouses, encapsulations for electronic motors and other noise-protection

Chinese supplier to the automotive industry, Sailuda, is to produce bulk continuous filament (BCF) yarns for the manufacture of its carpets using a plant from Oerlikon Neumag.

The developers of a prototype composite structural component (a beltline stiffener) for a car door that was made using an economical, high-volume process have been presented with a 2024 Altair

An easily recyclable, sound-absorbing polyester (PES) side-trim element for the boots (trunks) of vehicles has been launched by Autoneum of Winterthur, Switzerland.

Yarns, fabrics and cushions made entirely from recycled polyester (PES) have been developed for use in the production of airbags by Autoliv.

Flax fibre-based reinforcements (ampliTex) for composites from Bcomp will be used for the production of the seatbacks for bucket seats in Spanish car manufacturer Cupra's Born VZ electric vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Group is to work with Toray Industries to develop carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts for its future electric vehicles, following the signing of a strategic cooperation agree

Efficient and durable dual-layer filter media for automotive air-intake systems has been launched by Ahlstrom of Helsinki, Finland.

Supplier of materials for acoustic and thermal management to the automotive industry, Autoneum, is increasing its production capacities in Asia with new plants in Changchun, China, and Pune, India.

Winterhur, Switzerland-based supplier of materials for acoustic and thermal management, Autoneum, has established a new business unit that will target the market for commercial vehicles.

Wielsbeke, Belgium-based manufacturer of polyamide (PA) 6 yarns, B.I.G.

A hybrid pasting material made from cellulosic and polymeric fibres for use in lead-acid batteries has been launched by Ahlstrom of Helsinki, Finland. 

Asahi Kasei has invested in a developer of bio-based artificial leather (Mirum) for automotive interiors, Natural Fiber Welding (NFW). 

A range of recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam and trim materials for automotive seating has been launched by Magna International of Aurora, Ontario, Canada.

Autoneum has developed technologies that enable it to convert polyolefins recovered from discarded car bumpers into lightweight and durable outer liners for automotive wheelhouses.

A concept car that features seats covered with a velvet made from 100% recycled polyester (PES) that extends onto the floor and features three-dimensional (3D) patterns created by Stratasys’ 3D-pri

Bekaert—metal and metal alloy-yarns for smart textiles

Founded in 1880 and with its headquarters in Belgium, Bekaert describes itself as a global market and technology leader in the material science of steel wire-transformation and coating technologies, and has 27 000 employees. In recent years, the company has been finding innovative applications for its metal/metal-alloy yarns in smart textiles, reports James Bakewell. 

Flax fibre-based reinforcements (ampliTex) for composites from Bcomp will be used for the production of trims for the dashboard and doors of Volvo Cars' small, all-electric EX30 sports utility vehi

A waterless process for the dyeing of automotive textiles is being developed by Circotex of Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, and Borgstena Textile of Nelas, Portugal. 

A range of filter media impregnated with a resin based on lignin, a by-product of the production of pulp, has been launched for automotive applications by Ahlstrom of Helsinki, Finland.

A plant for the manufacture of fabrics and cushions for airbags is to be constructed in Vietnam by Autoliv Inc of Stockholm, Sweden. 

Germany backs hydrogen for next-generation transportation

Changes in the automotive industry and the increasing adoption of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles could create significant opportunities for producers of composites reinforced with, and nonwovens made from, carbon fibres. Two companies in Germany are positioning themselves to capitalise, reports Nonwovens Editor Adrian Wilson.

A novel epoxy prepreg has been developed by Composites Evolution for the manufacture of the floor-mounted battery box for Charge Cars' Ford Mustang-inspired ‘67 electric vehicle (EV). 

Autoneum, of Winterthur, Switzerland, has completed its acquisition of the automotive business of Borgers for €117 million thr

A strong 50-k carbon fibre for the production of pressure vessels is to be launched at JEC World by SGL Carbon of Wiesbaden, Germany. 

A fast process for producing carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) sandwich panels is being developed for use in automotive applications by Toray Industries of Tokyo, Japan. 

A recycled polyamide (PA) 66 that demonstrates the same processing characteristics and mechanical properties as virgin injection-moulding grades has been created from silicone-coated airbag-fabric

Australia-based manufacturer of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheels for cars, Carbon Revolution, is planning to trade shares on a national exchange in the USA following the signing of a m

Multi-layered tufted and needlepunched carpet systems made entirely from polyester (PES), making them easier to recycle than multimaterial systems, are being developed for automotive applications b

Following the signing of a contract, Freudenberg Performance Materials is to supply high-performance gas-diffusion layers for the stacks forming the cores of fuel-cell systems produced by a global

A continuous-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) from Lanxess is being used to produce a mechanically stable underbody panel for Chinese carmaker Li Auto Inc's Li L9 and Li L8 plug-in hybrid spo

A process for the fast and precise high-pressure resin-transfer moulding (HPRTM) of a near-to-net-shape dry carbon fibre preform to yield a structural part for automotive applications has been deve

A range of production-ready, flax fibre-reinforced plastic parts has been launched for use in the automotive industry by Cobra Advanced Composites (CAC) of Chonburi, Thailand.  

A glass fibre-reinforced polyamide (PA) 6 from Lanxess is being used by Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co KG to make cable connectors for wall-mounted electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations. 

Mikrosam is currently commissioning its latest and largest automated filament-winding line for the production of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) hydrogen-storage tanks for an Asian supplier

The developers of a lightweight, cost-effective reinforced polyurethane (PU) seatback for the 2022 Toyota Tundra have been presented with an Altair Enlighten Award for their achievement. 

Composite pick-up boxes for the 2022 Toyota Tundra Pickup truck are to be produced by Teijin Automotive Technologies at its new facility in Seguin, Texas, USA.

An extended range of acoustic insulation for blocking and absorbing the sounds generated by the drives of electric vehicles has been unveiled by Autoneum of Winterthur, Switzerland.

A method for keeping carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP)-based structural batteries cool is being developed by researchers at Drexel University of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 

A carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic hydrogen-storage tank for use in the heavy-duty transport sector has been developed through a 12-month project by three partners in the UK. 

TRB Lightweight Structures and Kordsa are to work together to develop sustainable lightweight composites for the automotive industry, after forming a partnership.  

A range of products for the automotive and bedding industries, and technologies for use in many other applications, will be showcased Milliken & Co when it makes its debut at IDEA.

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