On January 13, 2025, ThermHex Waben GmbH and their project partners won the JEC Composite Innovation Award. The ceremony was held at the Congress Center in Paris. The project was a collaboration of ThermHex with the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Daimler Truck AG, ElringKlinger AG, edevis GmbH and ENGEL Austria GmbH. The innovative technology applies thermoplastic sandwich moulding to an interior component of a Daimler truck and won the award in the category Automotive & Road Transportation – Process.
JEC Composites is an international organization dedicated to promoting the use of composite materials across various sectors, bringing together experts from industry, research, and education. Each year, the JEC Composites Innovation Award recognizes groundbreaking technologies.
The award-winning project utilized the processing of ThermHex thermoplastic sandwich panels with thermoplastic honeycomb core and composite skin layers made of GF/PP fiber-reinforced thermoplastic UD tape laminates. They are processed using thermoforming and can be functionalized in the same process through injection molding. This continuous, fully automated process is suitable for recyclable low weight parts and high-volume production. The latter is especially critical for the automotive industry, where large quantities and short cycle times are essential. Additionally, the “HyWaSand” project developed virtual engineering methods for process and component development, as well as non-destructive testing methods to ensure component quality.
The storage compartment flap, produced as a demonstrator, will be displayed at the JEC World plastics trade fair in Paris from March 4-6, 2025, at our ThermHex booth (Booth 6P108).
