Together with its partners ThermHex Waben GmbH (part of EconCore group) has been nominated for the first time for their successful joint project to apply thermoplastic sandwich moulding technology to a real component structure of a truck cab at the JEC Composites Innovation Awards. The award ceremony will take place in Paris on 13 January 2025, where the winners of the eleven categories will be revealed.

This project is a collaboration between Fraunhofer-Institut für Mikrostruktur von Werkstoffen und Systemen IMWS, Daimler Truck AG, ElringKlinger AG, edevis GmbH, ENGEL Austria GmbH and ThermHex Waben GmbH.

Thermoplastic sandwich molding technology (TS-Moulding) enables fully automated production of 3D molded parts in material-efficient lightweight sandwich construction. This innovative hybrid technology is demonstrated on a storage compartment cover for a truck cab. This is the first time that thermoplastic sandwich molding technology has been applied to a real part structure. In addition to the ability to form flat thermoplastic sandwich panels into complex components, ThermHex GF/PP panels offer the well-known environmental benefits of recyclability and weight savings. For example, a PP honeycomb core sandwich with a core height of 6 mm and 0.5 mm thick GF/PP skins provides the same flexural rigidity as a 3 mm aluminum sheet or a 4.5 mm monolithic GF/PP laminate. However, the sandwich structure weighs only about a quarter of the monolithic material, resulting in material savings during production and lower CO2 emissions during vehicle operation.

Each year, the JEC Composites Innovation Award recognises outstanding achievements and collaborative efforts in the composites industry.