Lightweight Automotive Fibre-Steered Structures (LeAFS)

Leafs专注于自动化制造工艺的开发和商业化，旨在以成本效益的方式将复合材料的轻量化优势引入汽车行业。在Leafs期间，iCOMAT将使用其名为快速丝束剪切的新型制造技术，以制造需要纤维转向的复合材料结构。它们通常是高度弯曲的，将通过压制2D纤维引导带和随机纤维板材模塑复合材料(SMC)的混合预制件来制造。第二阶段将提供一条试验性生产线(从原材料到最终部件)，专注于研发，以解决现有挑战，并开发工艺元素，以实现更大的质量/成本改进。LeAFS可以为轻型车辆和绿色移动性提供最先进的自动化制造能力。Leafs创造了一个直接的商业机会，在项目结束时可以利用，这个项目延伸到了英国和欧洲市场。

LeAFS focuses on the development and commercialisation of an automated manufacturing process, aiming at introducing the light-weighting benefits of composites in the automotive sector, in a cost-efficient way.During LeAFS, iCOMAT will use its novel manufacturing technology known as Rapid Tow Shearing, to enable the manufacture of composite structures that require fibre steering. These are often highly curved and will be manufactured by pressing a hybrid preform of 2D fibre-steered tapes and random-fibre sheet-moulding-compound (SMC).Phase\_2 will deliver a pilot production line (raw material to final part), focusing on R&D to solve existing challenges and develop process elements enabling even greater quality/cost improvements.LeAFS can deliver the new state-of-the-art in automated manufacturing capability for lightweight vehicles and green mobility. LeAFS creates an immediate business opportunity, exploitable at the end of the project, which extends to the UK and European markets.