The article discusses the importance of polymer composites in the transition to sustainable mobility and their potential to support the automotive industry’s journey towards net-zero emissions. To successfully integrate polymer composites into the UK supply chain, three key principles are highlighted: design for application, design for sustainability, and talent management. Design for application involves defining key requirements and choosing the optimal material choice for specific applications. Design for sustainability involves adopting a cradle-to-cradle approach and considering the life-cycle impact of composite materials, including raw-material supply, manufacturing, and end-of-life. Talent management is critical, as there is a widening skills gap and a shortage of qualified materials engineers. To address this, initiatives such as the Composites UK Skills Pledge and collaboration between industry, academia, and government are essential.
The article also mentions the Automotive Council’s 2024 Lightweight Vehicle and Powertrain Structures Roadmap, which emphasizes the importance of life-cycle study to optimize product design and discusses the potential for innovative joining techniques to create multi-material structures. Additionally, the ELEVATION project is highlighted, which aims to develop a modular luxury battery electric vehicle platform and innovative composite materials for compression moulding processing.
Overall, the article emphasizes the need for a robust UK-based supply chain for composite materials and highlights the importance of design for application, design for sustainability, and talent management in achieving a net-zero automotive industry.