Opportunities for cost-effective materials in the automotive industry

The automotive industry is very materials process intensive and continues to be one of the most competitive global business environments. Many smaller vehicle marques are now owned by larger corporations which now find themselves responsible for developing technologies for low volume and well as their more tradition high volume products. Composite materials present the automotive industry with an attractive range of new performance attributes and alternative processing routes. This potential is under currently utilized and existing technologies are so well established and respected that breaking into new markets is a daunting prospect for even the most entrepreneurial suppliers. This paper reviews the changing business environment of the automotive industry, some of the trends in usage of new materials and explores where composites are gaining acceptance and increasing usage.