Thermostamped fiber glass composite vehicle floor is one-third lighter

Faurecia engineers have developed an integral structural floor comprising a front and rear passenger floor and a trunk floor made of composite thermoplastic material reinforced with glass fiber, which is made using "thermostamping" techniques.

Lightweight floor incorporates acoustic elements to muffle noise resulting from density drop.

In addition to offering outstanding mechanical performance to meet crash-test requirements and ensure recyclability, the polyamide-based composite thermoplastic (PA 66) with glass-fiber reinforcement also makes it possible to weld and over-mold parts. The technology is said to reduce both weight and costs compared with bonding while producing a material able to withstand the very high temperatures created during painting processes that employ cataphoresis (cathodic electrodeposition).

Further, to muffle the noise resulting from this drop in density, Faurecia has also improved the floor design by incorporating acoustic components into the empty space between the upper and lower layers of the thermoplastic structure.

This approach to rethinking materials and design has put Faurecia in a position to offer a floor that is 16.5 kg lighter (11.5 kg in the front and 5 kg in the rear) than a conventional steel floor, reducing CO2 emissions by 1.65 g/km. The product achieves the goal of a 33% weight saving set by Renault for its EOLAB concept and could enter production four or five years from now.