Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5, and BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK) the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas, as well as a global market leader and pioneer producer of biopolymers on an industrial scale, and WEAV3D Inc., an advanced manufacturing and materials startup, today announced Braskem's and WEAV3D Inc.'s thermoplastic composite lattice technology, in partnership with the Clemson Composites Center at Clemson University, was selected Most Innovative Part by the Society for Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition (ACCE) and was awarded the Material and Process Innovation Award by the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) for its Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE).
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Beltline Stiffener with awards. Photo credit: WEAV3D.
Joel Carr, Technical Service and Development Engineering Team Leader, Braskem America, stated, “The partnership between WEAV3D, Clemson Composites Center, and Braskem combined to create a truly innovative and award-winning material with the Rebar for Plastics® Lattice Technology which showcases significant advantages in high-strength and lightweight composites technology. These latest awards from the Society for Plastic Engineers and the American Composites Manufacturers Association are clear affirmation of our success in creating more sustainable materials, helping reduce vehicle carbon emissions, and enhancing the manufacturing process value through material cost savings.”
The combination of WEAV3D composite lattice reinforcement with Braskem polypropylene (PP) enables lighter and less expensive thermoplastic solutions than conventional organosheet, unlocking new opportunities for the cost-effective replacement of sheet metal structures with thermoplastics throughout the vehicle. WEAV3D, Braskem, and the Clemson Composites Center partnered to redesign an automotive door structure from carbon fiber/PA6 organosheet to WEAV3D lattice reinforced polypropylene, achieving 23% weight savings, 50% cost savings, and 62% scrap reduction vs. the original organosheet.
“2024 has been a fantastic year for recognizing the innovation solution that we developed with our partners at Braskem and the Clemson Composites Center,” says Christopher Oberste, President and Chief Engineer of WEAV3D Inc. “Following closely after we won the Altair Enlighten Award last month, these awards from SPE and ACMA underscore the value of WEAV3D’s cost-effective composite forming technology and demonstrate strong industry interest for adoption.”
The Most Innovative Part Award from the Society for Plastics Engineers Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition is selected from nominations of composite vehicle components that are either 1) OEM or aftermarket vehicles on commercial sale anywhere in the world, or 2) development or prototype components demonstrating significant advancement in composites technology. Competition entries were judged on the impact and trendsetting nature of the application, including materials of construction, processing methods, assembly methods, and other enabling technologies that made the application possible.
The Material and Process Innovation from the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE) recognizes outstanding achievement and innovation in technology, manufacturing, and product development. Braskem and WEAV3D’s thermoplastic lattice technology was chosen among nominees as the material or process that best contributes to efficient manufacturing and product sustainability. The ACE award ceremony was held on September 10th, 2024, at the 2024 Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX), North America’s largest composites industry trade show.
For more information on WEAV3D's Rebar for Plastics® with Braskem’s PP, visit https://weav3d.com/cost-effective-automotive-body-structures.
Braskem will exhibit at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) TPO Global Automotive Conference in Troy, Michigan from September 29 - October 2, 2024.
ABOUT WEAV3D Inc.
WEAV3D Inc. is an innovator in composite materials, manufacturing processes and processing equipment. Headquartered in Norcross, GA, they originated as a technology startup within the Materials Science and Engineering department at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The patent-pending WEAV3D composite forming process enables the production of optimized lattice structures that can be combined with injection molding or thermoforming processes to create lightweight structural composite parts at a fraction of the cost and cycle time associated with traditional composite manufacturing. These innovations enable companies in industries such as automotive, aircraft, wind turbines, and cargo transportation to produce parts that are lighter, stronger and less expensive. For more information, visit www.weav3d.com.
ABOUT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
One of the most productive public research universities in the nation, Clemson University enrolls 27,341 students across the State of South Carolina and has an endowment of over $1 billion. The University operates Extension offices in every county of the state and has five Innovation Campuses and six Research and Education Center locations. Classified as an R1 — Very High Research University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education — Clemson is dedicated to teaching, research and service. Our main campus, located in Upstate South Carolina, sits on 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, along the shores of Lake Hartwell. Through the research, outreach and entrepreneurial projects led by our faculty and students, Clemson University is driving economic development and improving quality of life in South Carolina and beyond. For more information, visit https://clemsoncomposites.com.
ABOUT BRASKEM
With a global vision of the future oriented toward people and sustainability, Braskem is committed to contributing to the value chain for strengthening the Circular Economy. The petrochemical company’s almost 9,000 team members dedicate themselves every day to improving people’s lives through sustainable chemicals and plastics solutions. Braskem has an innovative DNA and a comprehensive portfolio of plastic resins and chemical products for diverse segments, such as food packaging, construction, manufacturing, automotive, agribusiness, healthcare, and hygiene, among others. With 40 industrial units in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Germany, and exports its products to clients in more than 70 countries.
Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with five production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, and a Renewable Innovation Center in Lexington, MA focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.
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