ARE THE CARS THAT YOU ARE DESIGNING READY TO BE THE CARS OF THE FUTURE?

The 12th International Conference on Composite science and Technology took place in Sorrento.  SAPA participated as a speaker and presented the LIFE BIOBCOMPO project and the first results of this (im)possible mission, i.e. Reducing CO2 emissions by 8% by 2021.

“And yet it moves!”

Galileo Galilei said this after retracting his own heliocentric theory before the Inquisition.

It was the first half of 1700 and promoting a revolutionary theory was witchcraft, it was a sin. Despite this, this quote by Galileo was passed down to us; I like to think about these words when I talk about the future, when I and my colleagues set our imagination free and try to imagine the car of the future.

This is what happened when we created the One-Shot® Method, an idea that made us the fastest producer of car parts.

And the same goes for the LFE BIOBCOMPO project that we carry out together with FCA, SOPHIA and CRF and that has a lot to do with the One-Shot® philosophy – let me explain why. Between 1st of July 2018 and 30th June 2021, SAPA will reduce CO2 emissions per KM by 1.23kg, thanks to the use of new composite materials. An ambitious challenge, of course, but necessary.

As you know, what is expected of our sector today is not only continuous improvement but also putting in place a real shift towards more respect for the environment and waste reduction. With the LIFE BIOBCOMPO project, which is supported by the European Union, we are precisely trying to rethink the design phase and to break away from the traditional methods.

In particular, materials will undergo some changes, I will quote three as an example:

• Less density;
• Replacing the traditional fillers with traditional fibres (bio-based fillers);
• Use of chemical or physical blowing agents.

Our aim is to act on the root of the problem, that is to say on the material used and on the production process. For this very reason I talked about the One-Shot® Method. The One-Shot® Method, which was created and patented by our Innovation Engineering department is the world’s fastest method to produce car parts with:

-Less weight

-Less cost

-More productivity.

The One-Shot® process is optimised to the maximum and it differentiates itself from the traditional processes because it reduces the number of work phases. Add to this the use of new materials that are composite and more sustainable.

The use of innovative and more sustainable materials in comparison to the ones used traditionally has a direct positive effect:

1. The new compounds have better processability and cycle time and waste are no bigger than with the traditional production process;
2. Aesthetics is improved thanks to the optimisation of the mixing process and of the moulding phases;
3. Mechanical performances are improved thanks to the selection of higher performance fillers than with the traditional methods.

All this is in line with the Horizon 2020 objectives.

Mr Angelo Covino, Easy Finance Specialist at SAPA gave his speech on the use of composite fibres in the automotive sector.

This was the topic of the conference held in Sorrento from 8th to 10th May. This year’s conference was dedicated to ongoing changes: 2020 – Scientific and Industrial Challenges.

 Mr Angelo Covino, Easy Finance Specialist at SAPA gave a speech together with Mr Antonio Aurino from SOPHIA srl on the topic: Cellulose Fiber Based Composites for Automotive Applications.

Change is always happening in our sector; the only difference is whether we undergo it or whether we drive it.

Galileo retracted his theory to save his own life, yet – also because of the quotation above, he remains the symbol of scientific innovation.

I leave you with an extract from the speech, which I believe may interest you. You can request the full video any time by filling in the request form at the bottom of the page.

Kind regards,

Giovanni Affinita

Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors at SAPA

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