The future use of structural composite materials in the automotive industry

The automotive industry's use of structural composite materials began in the 1950s. Since those early days, it has been demonstrated that composites are lightweight, fatigue resistant and easily moulded to shape - in other words, a seemingly attractive alternative to metals. However, there has been no widespread switch from metals to composites in the automotive sector. This is because there are a number of technical issues relating to the use of composite materials that still need to be resolved including accurate material characterisation, manufacturing and joining. This paper reports the findings of a recent European initiative that examined the future use of composite materials in the automotive sector. The principal technical challenges that must be overcome in ten key areas relating to composite usage are reviewed. Furthermore, recommendations for future research priorities to overcome these challenges are presented.