Published 9/17/2015

Slideshow of SPE ACCE 2015

A look at the 15th edition of SPE’s Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE).

Senior Editor, Plastics Technology

A look at part of the SPE ACCE exhibit hall. The show floor was busy – several exhibitors told me they received a high amount of traffic, even during the technical presentations. (Photo courtesy of SPE).

The very cool BMW i8 with carbon composite life module was prominently displayed in the parts area. Too bad they weren’t offering test drives. (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo).

Hexion (Columbus, OH, US) showcased this lightweight, CFRP door that was produced by Benteler-SGL (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) for the Porsche 911 GT3 Coupe. The composite was manufactured by HP-RTM using Hexion’s EPIKOTE resin TRAC 06300 and EPIKURE curing agent TRAC 06300. (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo).

Huntsman (The Woodlands, TX, US) showcased its VITROX resin technology used in the structural carbon fiber honeycomb elements for the production of the chassis of the Zenos E10 sports car. The advanced honeycomb sandwich panel is a collaboration between Huntsman and Bright Lite Structures (Peterborough, UK). (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo).

Paul Krajewski, director of vehicle systems research laboratory at General Motors Co. (Detroit), speaking during a panel discussion discussing automotive lightweighting targets. He said that one challenge for composites is how to move the “novel application” to the mainstream as the fundamental issue is cost. “We have to look more into the long-term and on how to make it cheaper to get that market to grow.” (Photo courtesy of SPE).

Specialized Bicycle Components used Altair’s CAE software suite HyperWorks to analyze and improve the aerodynamic performance of the bike as well as optimize the weight and structural efficiency of the new S-Works Venge carbon frame. (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo)

Tom Schmitz, business manager at composites mold making specialist Weber Manufacturing Technologies (Midland, ON, Canada), getting ready for show attendees. (Photo courtesy of SPE).

Here’s the carbon fiber wheels produced for the Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang. The wheels are supplied by Carbon Revolution and the weight of each wheel is cut nearly in half compared to an equivalent aluminum wheel (18 lb vs. 33 lb). (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo).

Lanxess (Cologne, Germany) showed off this front end module for the Skoda Octavia larger family car that was produced with its Durethan material. The full plastic design features high strength and stiffness. (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo).

The Multi-Material Lightweight Vehicle (MMLV) is a concept vehicle designed by Ford and Magna under a project funded by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office. It features a new aluminum-intensive passenger-car structure and also makes use of carbon fiber. (CW/Photo: Heather Caliendo).