ENLIGHT

Enhanced Lightweight Design

The ENLIGHT project is part of the SEAM cluster, which is a consortium of four EU projects. The overall objective of the cluster is the development of advanced materials and structural vehicle components for future vehicle generations, especially for electric vehicles (EVs). Among others the results of the successfully completed projects ELVA, SLC and SMARTBATT are taken into account in the projects of the SEAM cluster. This enables a bundling of competences and the generated know-how.

Up to now the application of lightweight materials such as carbon fibre reinforced plastics has mostly been limited to high-performance cars at relatively high costs and low production volumes. The electric cars of the future require lightweight solutions that not only enable specific design requirements to be respected but also offer cost effectiveness and sustainability throughout their lifecycle.

ENLIGHT aims to accelerate the development of a portfolio of innovative materials and manufacturing technologies which offer a strong potential to reduce weight and overall carbon footprint to enable their viable application in medium to high volume EVs in the horizon of 2020 – 25. ENLIGHT focuses on composites based on thermoset and thermoplastic matrices, bio-based as well as hybrid materials. Following a multi-material design approach suitable joining technologies will be enhanced.

Five demonstrator modules of a future EV architecture will be developed for validation of the performance of the materials in structurally demanding parts of the car. These demonstrator modules are front module, floor structure, doors, cross car beam and chassis control arm.

Furthermore, design and simulation techniques for the considered materials will be advanced within ENLIGHT. The validation of the simulation methods will be carried out by mechanical testing on material coupon and component level as well as assessment of the demonstrator modules.

[Logo: ENLIGHT]

Contact


Project Duration

10/2012 – 09/2016


Project Partner

Austrian Institute of Technology – LKR GmbH, Airborne Technology Center B.V., Bax & Willems S.L., Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH, Centro Cicherche Fiat SCPA, DSM Engineering Plastics, Fraunhofer LBF, ika, Instituto De Engenharia Mecanica, Jaguar Cars & Land Rover, Katholieke Univesiteit Leuven, Magneti Marelli S.P.A., Oxeon AB, Renault, Sistemas y Procesos Avanzados S.L., Swerea Sicomp AB, Tecnaro GmbH, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Volvo Technology Corporation, VW, The University of Warwick


Supported by

[Logo: EU]

ENLIGHT-Logo

Contact

Dr.-Ing. Dinesh Thirunavukkarasu
Manager Research Area
Vehicle Concepts & HMI
+49 241 80 25699
Email

Project duration

10/2012 – 09/2016

Project partner

Austrian Institute of Technology – LKR GmbH, Airborne Technology Center B.V., Bax & Willems S.L., Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH, Centro Cicherche Fiat SCPA, DSM Engineering Plastics, Fraunhofer LBF, ika, Instituto De Engenharia Mecanica, Jaguar Cars & Land Rover, Katholieke Univesiteit Leuven, Magneti Marelli S.P.A., Oxeon AB, Renault, Sistemas y Procesos Avanzados S.L., Swerea Sicomp AB, Tecnaro GmbH, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Volvo Technology Corporation, VW, The University of Warwick

Supported by

[Logo: Europäische Union]

Address

Institute for Automotive Engineering
RWTH Aachen University
Steinbachstraße 7
52074 Aachen · Germany

office@ika.rwth-aachen.de
+49 241 80 25600

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