- Coil spring made of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP)
- GFRP spring weighs 40-70% less than steel counterpart
- Owens Corning at #JECEurope2015
Owens Corning today unveiled its contribution to the development of the first composite material coil springs for automotive suspension systems. The new composite springs are on display at the Owens Corning booth at the @JECEurope2015 in Paris.
First composite material coil springs patented by Sogefi and developed with Audi will guarantee the new car a weight reduction of 4.4 kg (source: CIR Group)
Made of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP)
The new composite coil spring patented by Sogefi is made of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) and weighs 40 to 70 percent less than traditional springs made of steel. In terms of mechanical performance, GFRP materials resist fatigue and dampen noise and vibration. They are also resistant to chemical corrosion (for instance, from wheel cleaners) and to gravel impact.
Springs can be used without changes to suspension system
Sogefi says “The new springs can be mounted on cars and light commercial vehicles with no change to the suspension system, guaranteeing the vehicle a weight reduction of 4-6 kilograms (depending on the type of vehicle and the design of the spring) and a significantly reduced unsprung mass, thus improving driving precision. The replacement of steel by materials that are not subject to corrosion also guarantees a lower noise level and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions (up to – 0.5 g per km).”
Collaboration since 2009
The initial design and industrial development of the composite coil spring results from close collaboration between Sogefi and Owens Corning since 2009. Sogefi wanted to reduce suspension weight, moving from metal to a new composite solution. At the end of 2014, the GFRP coil springs manufactured by Sogefi were launched in serial production on the European car market.
Audi is the first car manufacturer to roll out the new technology. The suspension springs will guarantee the A6 Avant 2.0 a weight reduction of approximately 4.4 kilograms compared to traditional technology.
