Faurecia joins the German Carbon Fiber Composites Cluster in Augsburg

Faurecia, one of the world's largest automotive equipment suppliers, announced that it is joining the leading cluster MAI Carbon of the Incorporated Society of Carbon Composites based at the Augsburg (Germany) Innovation Park in order to develop manufacturing processes capable of reaching automotive cycle times for mass production of composite parts.

Carbon fiber is both lighter and stronger than steel or other lightweight materials as aluminum. Composites will contribute significantly toward the automaker’s goal of weight reduction. Using carbon composites will provide weight savings of around 50 percent versus the equivalent part made from steel. Ten kilograms of weight savings reduce CO2 emissions by 1g/km. Weight reduction is also important to increase the autonomy of battery electric vehicle.

We are very proud to join the German Carbon Network with a clear objective to make composite parts for mass production vehicles in the early 2020s. Faurecia has the ambition to become the leading player in sustainable mobility. We are doing this by expanding our innovation ecosystem including academic, governmental and industrial partners as well as start-ups.

Christophe Schmitt

Executive Vice-President of Faurecia Clean Mobility

The proximity of German premium OEMs and internationally recognized partners such as the Institute of Textile Engineering Augsburg, the Fraunhofer Institute IGCV, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) or the University of Augsburg is a unique opportunity for Faurecia to take the lead in the mass production of structural and semi-structural composite parts for the automotive industry.

Faurecia is already a leading member of the FORCE consortium in France which has the aim of producing low cost carbon fiber for the automotive industry.

A ceremony took place in Augsburg in presence of Franz Josef Pschierer, State Secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology, Eva Weber, second mayor of Augsburg and referee for Economy and Finance, Christophe Schmitt, Executive Vice President Faurecia Clean Mobility, Wolfgang Hehl, Managing Director Technologiezentrum Augsburg (TZA), Dr. Reinhard Janta, Board Member of Carbon Composites e.V., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schlichter, Managing Director Institute of Textile Engineering, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Siegfried Horn, Managing Director MRM institute at the University of Augsburg, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Reif, Vice President of the University Augsburg for Technology and Innovation, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Drechsler, Head of Fraunhofer IGCV in Augsburg and Chairman of MAI Carbon as well as Prof. Michael Kupke, Head of the Augsburg Centre for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP) of the DLR.

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