Next Generation of Automotive Crossmember by cOMlding Epoxy SMC with Fibre Steered Preforms (GACOM)

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Green mobility is key for a Net-Zero future. Composites are a critical enabler to deliver lightweight solutions with ultimate performance. However, current manufacturing technologies are costly and inherently slow as well as limited in terms of fibre orientation distribution, given that current deposition and laying-up solutions force straight/geodesic continuous fibre-paths. These issues result in labour-intensive and prolonged manufacturing processes with low-productivity, increased energy consumption, production costs and environmental footprint, hindering wide adoption of composites in automotive.iCOMAT has developed the Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) process, an innovative composites automated deposition process which deposits wide composite tapes along curved-paths (fibre-steering) without generating defects. RTS's steering capabilities offer tremendous benefits in terms structural performance, weight, production costs and environmental footprint.GACOM is a 24-month collaborative project aiming to deliver the new state-of-the-art in the manufacture of hybrid SMC/UD composite components used in automotive applications. GACOM builds on the skeleton/flesh concept which was successfully demonstrated during LeAFS-SBRI-10004512\. The skeleton/flesh concept includes the use of low-cost/low performance Sheet-Compound-Moulding (SMC) ''flesh'' material strategically reinforced with structural unidirectional (UD) carbon-fibre tapes acting as a ''skeleton''. This is enabled by RTS's unprecedented steering capabilities.GACOM will be led by iCOMAT with Hangukmold and KCarbon as project partners. Hangukmold is a world-leading expert in the manufacturing of commercial vehicle composite parts and is an existing Tier1 supplier of OEMs such as Hyundai and KIA among others. KCarbon is a South-Korean Research-Institute specialising in material characterisation and composites manufacture.GACOM will utilise the skeleton/flesh concept to manufacture and validate a hybrid SMC/UD front car crossmember. GACOM's activities include:* Component optimisation using Finite Element (FE) structural models* manufacture a full-­scale fibre-steered hybrid SMC/UD front car crossmember (lower/upper)* quantify the performance, light-weighting and economic benefits of the developed technology and further develop the business caseGACOM will demonstrate that high­-quality automotive components can be manufactured using RTS, delivering the new state­-of­-the-­art in automotive composites manufacture. This will result in innovative next generation crossmembers that are closer to the structural-optimum (lighter with same performance), use less raw material, and are manufactured faster/cheaper than the current state­-of-­the-­art.Overall, successful completion of GACOM will drastically boost iCOMAT's presence in automotive and place the UK at the driver's seat of advanced manufacturing of automotive composite components.