Natural-fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites have recently emerged as a lightweight, sustainable alternative to glass reinforced plastics for automotive interior applications. These materials, however, have traditionally lacked sufficient structural performance on their own to meet load and deflection requirements, necessitating the reinforcement of these materials with metallic or back-injected support structures.
This need for additional support adds a weight and cost burden that can be eliminated using our design approach. Download our application note to learn how the addition of WEAV3D® reinforcements produced dramatic improvements in strength, stiffness and energy absorption in natural-fiber reinforced automotive components.
