ThermHex RPP panels for future transportation @IAA Hannover
Recycled thermoplastic honeycomb core sandwich panels will be presented at IAA TRANSPORTATION in Hannover from 15-20 September, 2026: Visit us in Hall 25 at Stand B100
Transportation needs materials that are light, recyclable and cost-effective. At IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 ThermHex Waben presents ThermHex RPP honeycomb cores and panels, which combine the weight savings and sustainability with cost reductions.
The core of the innovation is the cell wall. Instead of a single homogeneous wall, each honeycomb cell wall is built from three coextruded layers: two solid outer layers of proven virgin compound that determine surface quality, bonding behaviour and mechanical performance, and an inner layer that carries up to 80 % post-consumer recycled polypropylene. The result is a lightweight core with more than 25 % total recycled content and no change at all to the way converters process it.
The timing matters. The EU End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation entered into force on 13 August 2026 and sets binding minimum quotas for recycled plastic in new vehicles for the first time: 15 % from 2032, rising to 25 % from 2036. ThermHex RPP already exceeds that 2036 figure today.
The layered cell wall does more than accommodate recycled material. Honeycomb cell walls fail by buckling, and buckling stiffness rises over-proportionally with wall thickness. So a sandwich wall delivers a larger cross-section at constant weight. Run on the same production line with a chemically foamed inner layer instead of recyclate, that same architecture raised flatwise compressive strength by 21.8 % at comparable core density. That variant is the next step on our roadmap.
In short, ThermHex RPP honeycomb cores:
✅ exceed the 2036 recycled-content requirement today,
✅ process exactly like the ThermHex PP cores you already know,
✅ remain single-polymer PP and fully recyclable,
✅ and come at a lower cost than the standard products in use today.
Where they go: truck and trailer bodies, van conversions and cargo linings, load floors and automotive interior parts, and reusable logistics equipment such as plastic pallets, transport boxes and layer pads.
Every kilogram saved is payload gained or energy saved – an argument that only grows as commercial fleets electrify.
At Stand B100 you will find cores, finished sandwich panels and cell-wall cross-sections that show the layered structure. Grade selection, thicknesses, bonding and part-specific mechanical data are best discussed face to face, and the ThermHex technical team is on the stand throughout the week.
We look forward to seeing you in Hannover.
