Apart from energy-conscious driving and power train improvements, weight reduction in vehicles is the preferred method for saving fuel and reducing CO₂ output. While the weight-reduction potential of conventional metal structures is approximately 10%, sandwiched composite structures made of ROHACELL® and CFRP can save 50% and more of weight in the outer skin. This is of particular interest for future urban vehicles or electrical cars, in which reduced weight will significantly contribute to downsizing the power train and improving range. Super sports vehicles and Formula 1 cars already use Boliden sandwich structures with ROHACELL® for further gains in acceleration and handling because of lower weight.

Structural automotive parts like monocoques have to withstand many dynamic loads over their lifetime. It is
reassuring to know that ROHACELL® is able to withstand millions of load cycles with a high level of residual
strength. This minimizes the needed safety margins in design and reduces weight and material cost.

With Electric Vehicles (EV), every single Watt is critical to the system and temperature regulation can be a challenge. Body panels or monocoques made with ROHACELL® not only provide structural support, but with a thermal conductivity of approx. 0.03 W/mK-1, the foam is also an efficient vehicle insulator.

ROHACELL® is free of FCKW, meets the heavy metal requirements of the End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC and is listed in the IMDS.

ROHACELL® offers high, recurrent energy absorption that remains almost constant over a wide range of temperatures. This benefit, combined with its homogenous structure, makes it ideally suited for simulations that parallel practical evaluations very closely. Simulation values for the crash behavior of ROHACELL® are available upon request.

Sandwich cores for fiber-composite components are currently mainly designed in flat structures. But composite parts are often geometrically complex and the structural cores for these parts must fulfill an increasing number of requirements. ROHACELL® Triple F in-mold foamed cores simplify the complex demands of producing three-dimensional foam cores cost-effectively for serial production of carbonfiber reinforced composites. Even geometries that are not possible to shape with NC-machining can be foamed directly
inside a mold, quickly and easily. The most complex and finest of intricate surface details are accurately reproduced and metal inserts can be positioned and integrated during foaming – remaining permanently fixed
in the core after demolding.

Temperature resistance of up to 130 °C (266 °F) and pressure resistance of up to 3.5 MPa (508 psi) is achievable, depending upon density. Additionally, ROHACELL® Triple F is also suitable for most curing conditions used in the automotive industry which require high compressive creep resistance at curing temperatures up to 180 °C (356 °F) and pressures up to 0.7 MPa (100 psi). ROHACELL® Triple F is an ideal foam core for fast and efficient curing processes, not only for RTM or wet pressing, but also for high pressure RTM processes like compression-RTM. The particle structure ensures high damage tolerance and is compatible with all common thermosets. Processing conditions for final parts made with ROHACELL® Triple F are perfect for high volume serial production rates between a few hundred and 50,000 parts annually or more.

Depending on the mechanical properties required by your production or life service conditions, core density can be adjusted during the foaming process to your choice of a core density between 75 kg/m³ and 200 kg/m³ (4.68 lb/ft³ and 12.5 lbs/ft³) resulting in a ready-to-use shaped core that is customized for your specific application requirements.