Advanced Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites for Mass Transit and Heavy Truck Applications

The objective of the research effort is to develop cost-effective high performance thermoplastic composite materials and product forms and manufacturing of structural components for mass transit, heavy truck and military transport applications. Thermoplastic composites technologies possess the potential to provide structures with lower cost, lighter weight, and improved performance. This paper discusses an integrated processing and product development approach for select components such as seats, floor segments, and roof cover doors generic to mass transit, heavy transit and military transport. Long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) and continuous thermoplastic fiber forms have been used in processes ranging from extrusion-compression to vacuum thermoforming. About 40-60% weight savings with equivalent or enhanced performance have been achieved in these applications. Process modeling such as fiber/polymer melt flow in the LFT process has also been discussed in this paper.