Lightweight Composite Panel - Part I
(Part II)
Technology Supporting the Transportation Industry
 With fuel prices edging skyward managers and drivers are walking
an increasingly fine line to balance output with revenue. Every
detail counts. Recent advances in the modern composites industry
show hope of providing promising benefits to the transport industry.
Manufacturers are using state-of-the-art composite panel technology
to engineer a lightweight, high-strength alternative to traditional
materials that go into truck building such as aluminum and steel.
This translates primarily into higher payload and the potential for
reduction in fuel consumption.
The technology isn’t a new one though. For years composites or
sandwich panels have been used in the manufacture of both civilian
and military aircraft and more recently used in racing vehicles,
ship building and even specialized architecture. A typical Boeing
civil airliner may be comprised of up to 5-15% composite panel,
although recently Boeing announced that the new 7E7 would be
composed of up to 50% composite, making it ultra light weight while
maintaining optimum durability.
The success of composite technology in the aviation field has made
it attractive to other industries seeking to apply the benefits. One
of the more significant for the trucking profession is that core
composite materials measure in much lighter than steel and aluminum
with an average weight savings of up to 40% over steel and 20% over
aluminum.
At present, composite technology can be applied to body panels and
accessories, front-end panels, floor, engine block, cargo liners,
vehicle chassis, bumper beams, fuel tank supports, heat-resistant
parts such as inlet manifold, cooling modules, and oil pan… Heavy
wood or metal decking on trailers may be replaced with sandwich
panel to further shed pounds and leverage added payload and longer
trailer deck life. Diversity in the materials used and in the
manufacturing process enables composite panels to be fashioned into
flat or curved forms that possess one of the highest strength to
weight ratios of any structural material available on the market.
Replacing just a class 8 sleeper box with custom manufactured
composite panel technology can reduce overall vehicle weight by up
to 850 pounds, effectively decreasing gross weight and fluid
resistance while increasing payload.
In addition to lightweight composition, the sound dampening and
insulation properties create a quiet environment inside the sleeper;
corrosion resistance, and overall durability are also high on the
ratings scale.
The panels are formed when two materials are combined to create a
stronger substance than either of the two base materials on their
own. The panels themselves are heated and thermo fused to the matrix
or core; the matrix binds together the fibers of the stronger
material, called the reinforcement. The reinforcement can be
engineered from glass fiber, aramid and carbon whereas the matrix
can comprise polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, or epoxy resins,
as well as many light fiber materials. The separation of the skins
by this low-density core increases the moment of inertia of the beam
or panel with very little increase in weight, producing a highly
efficient structure...
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