— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

Spanish composites specialist Birka Composites (Zaragoza; www.birka.es) and technology centres Aimplas (Valencia; www.aimplas.net) and Ideko (Elgoibar; www.ideko.es) have teamed up to develop ultralight, recyclable composite panels for structural transport applications under the Superpan research project, Aimplas said.

Launched in early August, Superpan is part of Spain’s 2023 Public-Private Partnership programme, funded by the Spanish state research agency, AEI, and co-funded by the European Union, the team stated.

The partners aim to reduce vehicle weight, energy consumption, and emissions by developing multi-directionally reinforced panels based on thermoplastic matrices. According to Aimplas, the use of thermoplastics is intended to improve the recyclability of composite components compared with established systems based on thermosetting resins.

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The project also covers new production methods intended to increase automation and reduce manufacturing costs and variability. These include Birka’s patented dual pull-braiding technology, ultraviolet-assisted curing of prepregs, and integrated process-control systems.

“The aim is to advance towards more efficient materials that reduce the weight of structures without compromising safety or performance,” said Manuel Guerrero of Birka Composites.

Juan José Gordillo, a researcher in sustainable mobility at Aimplas, said that “incorporating recyclable materials and more efficient processes is a key step towards a more sustainable transport industry”.