New Materials

CTAG presents its latest developments in R&D&I on new materials at the JEC World Composites 2016


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The Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia will participate in the JEC World Composites Show & Conferences, which will be held at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center from 8 to 10 March.

CTAG will take part in the exhibition at the Spanish Pavilion, Hall 5A, Booth C53, and will present its latest R&I work relating to new materials: biocomposites, nanocomposites, lightweight and high-performance composites, smart materials and plastronics.

This is the most important event in Europe concerning composites, where exhibitors will present innovations in different sectors such as the automobile, aerospace, building, civil engineering industry, etc.

For more information about the show please visit:Jec World 2016

This participation is supported by the IGAPE, with the 2016 call for “ayudas para la ejecución de acciones de promoción exterior conjunta de las empresas gallegas”, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the Operational Programme ERDF Galicia 2014-2020.
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CTAG and VIZA joint research unit


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Collaboration to achieve innovation in seat function with high impact in galicia

unidad-mixtaThe Joint Unit programme is part of the Innova en Galicia programme of the Strategy for Smart Specialisation (RIS3), supporting knowledge transfer to the business sector to increase its competitiveness.

In a market where changes are faster and more groundbreaking every day, it is essential to carry out a division of tasks and create specialized groups to be able to maintain a constant process of renewal and collaborative learning. This is where the complementarity between the two entities is evident: VIZA as specialist in frame development and interlocking systems and CTAG as specialist in validation (virtual and physical), in advice on manufacturing processes optimisation, both from the ergonomics and efficiency points of view, and in accompaniment in the implementation of R&D&I projects from the earliest stages.

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The main objective of the VIZA-CTAG Joint Unit is to achieve a NEW GENERATION OF UNIVERSAL FRAMES and INTERLOCKING SYSTEMS, by DESIGNING NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS (weight, ergonomics, resistance and modularity), made with ADVANCED MATERIALS and based on new FLEXIBLE AND EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES of manufacture adapted to the particular needs and requirements demanded, quickly and affordably. To this end it has received support from the Axencia Galega de Innovación (Galician Innovation Agency) and from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) within the framework of the Estrategia Española de Innovación en Galicia (Spanish strategy of innovation in Galicia).

armaduras-sistemas-enclavamientoVIZA and CTAG will develop an ongoing collaboration that will last for more than three years resulting in a perfect combination, where VIZA’s understanding of current market needs and experience in product design coexist with CTAG’s high added value technological capabilities in the fields of virtual calculation, testing and technological accompaniment, among others

Also, the conjunction VIZA-CTAG will encourage the promotion of opportunities for participation in the research lines within the framework of the H2020 programme.

In these first months of the Joint Unit, technology analysis and requirements definition activities have been carried out, studying the technologies to establish the bases and adequate knowledge for the proper development of the tasks of the Joint Unit. New concepts of flexible backrest and interlocking system have started to be shaped, and the first practical projections have been virtually validated. All these activities have been addressed in reference to the 4 R&D&I lines of the VIZA-CTAG Joint Unit: design of new universal concepts, study of lightweight structural materials, implementation of flexible processes and new test methods in compliance with the EU standards.

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New European Technology to Improve Electric Vehicle Energy Efficiency


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A trans-European collaboration kicked off recently in Valencia aiming to develop a novel energy efficient climate control system to help reduce the energy used for passenger comfort in electric vehicles by at least 50 %. Even in today’s modern electric vehicles, a lot of energy is wasted on heating or cooling, in turn limiting the already relatively short range by further draining the battery capacity.

The 6.7 million Euro JOSPEL project aims to greatly optimise on the energy consumption and simultaneously make electric vehicles more attractive to the European car buyers. Industry and research partners from the involved companies and organisations in Spain, Croatia, Italy, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Denmark and Germany met in Valencia to align expectations and aims of the JOSPEL project:

“The JOSPEL project is ambitious in size and scope, and we believe to be able to reduce not only the energy used for passenger comfort heating with at least 50 %, but also to reduce the energy used for component cooling in extreme conditions with at least 30 %. Both objectives will help make the electric vehicles much more energy efficient and marketable”, says the project coordinator, Cristina Abad from AIMPLAS.

Many technological improvements in one package

Taking its name from the thermoelectric Joule and Peltier effects, JOSPEL’s main energy efficiency improvements will consist of developing a novel and innovative heating system based on the Joule effect and a cooling system based on the use of Peltier cells. Both of these technologies are expected to reduce the energy consumption with at least between 25-30 % each in comparison with current heaters and heat pump inverters for cooling.

Besides improving on the heating/cooling technology through thermoelectric technology and effects, JOSPEL will also enhance the energy and battery efficiency through various other solutions, such as improving on the insulation via new glazing designs, reducing the energy needed to defrost and so on. This is where the project benefits from all of the European expertise within the project:

“We have put together a strong consortium of European experts, who will help combine several solutions into the most energy efficient optimisation of electric vehicles in terms of not wasting unnecessary energy on heating or cooling. Energy, which could have been used on mobility instead by getting more kilometres out of the battery capacity”, says Cristina Abad.

The JOSPEL project has received funding from the European Union‘s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement n° 653851.

Full list of project partners:

 

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CTAG leads FORTAPE, the new European Project


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“FORTAPE: Research on efficient integrated systems for the manufacturing of complex parts based on unidirectional tapes for the automotive and aeronautical industry” starts in February 2015.

Nowadays the manufacturing technologies to obtain carbon and glass fibre unidirectional continuous tape reinforced composites are not mature enough for a full industrial implementation. FORTAPE aims to solve the barriers related to the high consumption of resources and low rate of automation, through the development of an efficient and optimized integrated system for the manufacturing of complex parts based on unidirectional fibre tapes, for its application in the automobile and aeronautics sector, with the minimum use of material and energy.

With this project CTAG reaffirms its commitment to innovation in new materials and consolidates its position at European level as technology centre of reference in this field for the automotive sector.

Press release

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CarbonInspired 2.0


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International Workshop: Nanomaterials application in industry will celebrate its 2nd edition next 12th November 2014 in Madrid

CarbonInspired 2.0 is a knowledge transfer network that promotes the application of nanomaterials in high added value products focused on the industry of the SUDOE regions (Spain, Portugal and South of France).  The main goal of this network is to transfer the existing knowledge to companies, allowing them to transform this knowledge into real market value.

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CTAG will attend JEC Composites Europe 2014 presenting CarbonInspired 2.0 network.


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From 11 to 13 March th th 2014, the international show “JEC Composites Europe” will take place in Paris, where the network CarbonInspired 2.0, coordinated by CTAG, will have its own exclusive booth at the Spain pavilion. JEC is the most important worldwide show concerning composites and in its 2013 edition, it had more than 27,000 visitors, more than 70% coming from abroad. In the event, several issues about composites were discussed, being the most important ones those related to the automotive sector, as approximately 70% of the parts shown in the Exhibit Area were related to the transports sector.

On the last attendance to this fair, in 2012, the stand was visited by more than 50 companies and national and international agencies, interested in knowing the advantages of the transfer network, finding common points of interest and collaborating on new developments in the field of nanotechnology.

In its 2014 edition, CarbonInspired 2.0 will offer its members a limited number of free admission tickets for the fair, which will take place in the Paris Exhibition Centre-Porte de Versailles. To apply for the tickets, it is necessary to follow the next steps:

1. Become a member of the net through online registration on the web of CarbonInspired
2.0 (http://carboninspired2.com/).
2. Fill in the request form attached and send it to info@carboninspired.com
These free tickets are limited and will be assigned by strict order of registration while places are
available.

1. Become a member of the net through online registration on the web of CarbonInspired
2.0 (http://carboninspired2.com/).
2. Fill in the request form attached and send it to info@carboninspired.com

These free tickets are limited and will be assigned by strict order of registration while places are available.