Titan race car features rPET honeycomb in front wing to withstand forces 1000 times its own weight

Dependent on recycled PET material, the rPET honeycomb cores are produced up of 100% recycled materials, predominantly sourced from non-meals postconsumer and industrial PET waste streams to add in direction of beating the oversupply of these most problematic PET waste streams.

Thanks to its massively advantageous mechanical overall performance, reduced pounds and substantial temperature security, rPET is the materials of option for a array of programs which includes automotive, transportation, setting up and construction, industrial packaging / graphical shows, household furniture and considerably a lot more. 1 marketplace in distinct where by the mechanical attributes and fat of a content solution can verify the difference involving winning and shedding is inside of motorsport.

EconCore’s rPET honeycomb cores are at this time being used by Formula Electric Belgium in just the entrance wings of their race car. The team of engineering students created the front wing skin out of natural flax fibre. Past 12 months, the team used carbon fibre strengthened composites for the skins of the wing profile and in purchase to give the wings larger stiffness, they expected aluminium stiffeners identical to individuals located in airplane wings.

Formula Electric powered Belgium’s commitment to “Green Innovation fulfills Performance” perfectly encompasses EconCore’s rPET engineering. In purchase to adapt a far more sustainable approach without having compromising on general performance, Components Electric Belgium substituted the aluminium stiffeners with rPET honeycomb to make a sandwich panel which was both equally lighter and far more rigid.

For their entrance wing style and design, Formula Electric powered Belgium required a thermoplastic substance as it would have to be thermoformed. For the thermoforming of the rPET cores the Formula Electrical Belgium staff begun with continual thickness to form into the wing, using heated moulds to press the main into shape. Not only did the rPET honeycomb main discover its position in the aerodynamics offer, the overall undertray of the 220kg race car was also produced from EconCore’s rPET honeycomb cores.

By optimising the use of rPET honeycomb technologies the Components Electrical Belgium team have been capable to cut down the wings bodyweight by 26% in contrast to the same sizing wing from final 12 months. The light-weight entrance wing component is also significant in rigidity, able of withstanding forces equal to just about 1000 periods its very own pounds. The Titan race car has gone through various assessments in its many stages of advancement, under a a few-position bending exam the wing was capable of withstanding 46kg of power.

For the 2022 year, Method Electric Belgium’s use of lightweight materials has enabled them to create a race car or truck which provides a total excess weight of only 220kg. As the founder of Lotus Automobiles, Colin Chapman famously as soon as explained “adding electric power tends to make you more quickly on the straights, subtracting pounds would make you a lot quicker everywhere”, but Method Electric Belgium definitely are not missing on energy either with their race car reaching a -100kmh time of 2.5 seconds.

In the course of the growth stages EconCore opened up their doorways to the Formula Electrical Belgium team allowing them to use their testing tools to consider the energy of the product, which proved important to the complete growth system.

Wouter Winant, Complex Manager at EconCore mentioned: “With the rPET honeycomb main, Formulation Electrical Belgium were being in a position to make a extremely rigid, light-weight entrance wing component which weighed in at only 50 grams. And at the similar time this exhibits that reaching ideal performance is probable with sustainable resources. Our rPET honeycomb main know-how is out there to be accredited for a variety of applications and System Electric Belgium have properly shown the material’s flexibility. “

Method Electric powered Belgium has been bringing alongside one another aspiring engineers from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, UGent, UHasselt, UCLouvain and Thomas More University in Belgium for the very last 12 years. The program was to begin with established up to deliver engineering students with a genuine-planet operating setting to develop their specialized skills by building complete race cars and trucks just about every 12 months to compete in the throughout the world Formula College student competitions.

The Titan race car was showcased at the start celebration on the 24^th of May possibly 2022 to above 300 attendees, which includes Method Electric Belgium companions and other Belgium College teams taking portion in the Components College student competitions. The up coming measures for the race car or truck are to undergo tests and established-up sessions prior to the very first aggressive race in the Netherlands in July, followed by even further races in Hungary and Croatia in August.

For the competitions on their own the Components Electric powered Belgium workforce will place their race vehicle as a result of a range of dynamic and static gatherings which they will be scored on. The dynamic occasions include acceleration, skid pad, autocross and endurance, although the static occasions are value analysis, structure analysis and company prepare presentation. The competition isn’t only about how the autos perform but also the revolutionary method that each team has carried out in the style and design and manufacture of their car or truck.

Karel Van Wambeke, Aerodynamics Engineer at System Electrical Belgium reported: “The rPET honeycomb main was an thrilling and appealing content to perform with and the complete EconCore group had been enthusiastic in supporting us even though we utilized their services. We can’t hold out to put our hard perform to the take a look at and see how we complete in our very first competitors in the Netherlands in July.”

EconCore’s rPET honeycomb technology demonstrates how mechanical qualities and overall performance can be reached sustainably. The Belgium centered firm was declared today (31^st May 2022) as the winner of a European Inexperienced Award in the Eco-friendly Innovation Award classification.  RPET honeycomb core know-how was also just lately accredited with the remarkably prestigious Solar Impulse Label, a reliable and reliable certification of excellent which highlights the importance of investing in clear systems as an economic and industrial chance.