Mannheim, Germany. - On 2nd and 3rd April 2003 VDI Plastics Division held the International Conference of Plastics in Automotive Engineering. This top-class event has attracted participants from many different countries and become a major gathering-point for the automotive industry.

The conference was accompanied by an exhibition. A number of fine SMC application were exhibited at the booth of the European Alliance for SMC, such as rocker cover (Renault trucks, oil sump (DaimlerChrysler and Volvo), roof module (Citroen Berlingo), tractor roof (inner and outer John Deere).

Members List

Mercedes Truck SMC Oilsump

A standardized Composite Waste Management System on a Pan European Scale - Initiatives to Achive:

New waste management concepts must be developed that comply to the latest EU standards. In order to meet these challenges the key European suppliers in the chain, together with the GPRMC and associated bodies are introducing a “European Composite Recycling Concept”.

The European Composite Recycling Concept ECRC has been presented at the booth of SMC-Alliance. For more information about this European initiative contact AVK-TV, Frankfurt, Germany.

See the information about the green FRP recycling label as presented at the 3rd Automotive Seminar of the SMC-Alliance, as per Nov 2002.

• Development and performance criteria for certified recycling centers, geographically spread across Europe.
• Launching and financing R&D programs to find new technologies for recycling of FRP waste.
• Finding and developing new markets for recyclates.
• Developing the green label image towards end users and towards regional, national and European administrations.
• Preventive actions to reduce manufacturing waste.
• Implementation of viable logistical systems for collection and transportation.

Thomas Schuh said, the image of the SMC industry was bad in the past. Things have changed, quality is more consistant, process reliability has been improved. This is a result of a cooperation between the companies being involved. “A new culture has been established.” With regard to the joint project between Menzolit-Fibron, Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler called “Advanced SMC” (carbon-fibre-reinforced SMC), Dr Schuh announced, a new car with a C-fibre-SMC component will be launched later this year.

Demonstrating the use of Advanced SMC: Mercedes trunklid

Hartmut Haeberle’s paper was also clear and straight forward. MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Munich, Germany, has changed almost the entire truck cabine to SMC, because “no other material shows a similar bandwidth”. His conclusion: It can be stated without contradiction that SMC is a material that can do nearly everything. If the SMC industry can just sort out the

surface quality problem, it will be possible to put “nearly” at least in parentheses.

MAN TGA Truck with SMC Cabin Panels

VDI 2004: 24-25 March