Fehrer develops lightest roof for passenger cars
January 01, 2015 - Germany
German automotive interior components producer, Fehrer has developed a new lightweight roof in a sandwich-type design for the new smart fortwo.
According to Fehrer, the component is currently the lightest roof construction for passenger cars on the market.
The newly developed roof from Fehrer Composite Components, is made from a material mix consisting of polyurethane, glass fibre and paper honeycomb, covered with a thermoplastic outer skin.
The standard version of the smart fortwo is equipped with this roof, which equates to around 40 percent of all models and is around 30 per cent lighter than the standard roof in the predecessor model.
This has been achieved by means of an intelligent combination of decorative foil, structural PUR fibre-composite layers and a core honeycomb structure in a sandwich-type design.
In contrast to standard composite components, this construction does not involve the individual layers being bonded in a complex, multi-stage process, but is produced instead in a single work step.
“This means that the component can be produced considerably more efficiently,” Fehrer explains.
The lightweight roof is produced at the Fehrer plant in Großlangheim and supplied directly to the smart production plant in Hambach, where it is mounted on the vehicles.
The Fehrer Group is one of the world’s leading specialists for vehicle interior components and its customers include renowned automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler and VW Group.
Fehrer currently has around 4,000 employees at 11 locations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the US and China.
Its annual revenue for 2014 is expected to be around €480 million and Fehrer also operates in India and South Africa via joint ventures. Since October 2014, Fehrer is part of the Aunde Group. (AR)
According to Fehrer, the component is currently the lightest roof construction for passenger cars on the market.
The newly developed roof from Fehrer Composite Components, is made from a material mix consisting of polyurethane, glass fibre and paper honeycomb, covered with a thermoplastic outer skin.
The standard version of the smart fortwo is equipped with this roof, which equates to around 40 percent of all models and is around 30 per cent lighter than the standard roof in the predecessor model.
This has been achieved by means of an intelligent combination of decorative foil, structural PUR fibre-composite layers and a core honeycomb structure in a sandwich-type design.
In contrast to standard composite components, this construction does not involve the individual layers being bonded in a complex, multi-stage process, but is produced instead in a single work step.
“This means that the component can be produced considerably more efficiently,” Fehrer explains.
The lightweight roof is produced at the Fehrer plant in Großlangheim and supplied directly to the smart production plant in Hambach, where it is mounted on the vehicles.
The Fehrer Group is one of the world’s leading specialists for vehicle interior components and its customers include renowned automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler and VW Group.
Fehrer currently has around 4,000 employees at 11 locations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the US and China.
Its annual revenue for 2014 is expected to be around €480 million and Fehrer also operates in India and South Africa via joint ventures. Since October 2014, Fehrer is part of the Aunde Group. (AR)