TenCate have signed a new two-year partnership contract with AZL Aachen, the Center for Integrative Lightweight Production in Aachen, Germany. The contract relates to joint development of composite material solutions for emerging markets such as the automotive industry and the oil & gas industry.
AZL Aachen, located at RWTH Aachen University wants to further develop the automated production of lightweight, cost-effective components suitable for mass production. The partnership will concentrate on increasing the productivity in the production process whilst reducing manufacturing costs for thermoplastic and thermoset composites.
TenCate entered into cooperation with AZL Aachen as one of the founding partners in 2013. Last year technology and market screening was conducted at AZL Aachen for the joint development of composite material solutions for emerging volume markets. This was carried out in close cooperation with other leading composite technology partners like BASF, DSM, Johnson Controls, Opel, SAERTEX, Toyota and Sabic.
TenCate are in the process of developing a range of thermoplastic composite materials that support volume production in the automotive industry. Alliances with partners from both industry and the academic world are crucial for accelerating the development process and the route to market.