Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal

Published purpose

The automotive sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. Composite materials, blending reinforcing fibres with polymers, can provide the same function as metallic materials at a fraction of the weight. Use of composite materials can thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of a vehicle and reduce its GHG emissions. However, current production rates of composite materials cannot match the demands of the automotive industry. The objective of this project is to develop a process for manufacturing injection moulded structures that are reinforced locally with pultruded thermoplastic composite beams. In such case, the injected polymer provides a net-shape geometry of high complexity which reduces the amount of post-processing and the number of assemblies. The polymer will encapsulate, i.e. overmould, pultruded beams that have been distributed sparingly within the structure to increase the strength along the most critical loads paths. This efficient use of these beams allows important cost reductions compared to full composite parts, making hybrid structures viable alternatives to metallic structures while also increasing their rate of production.