Mon, 29 November, 2021
TWI was delighted to welcome the partners of the BRACE (Breakthrough Reinforcement for Added Chassis Efficiency) consortium to our facilities on Wednesday 24 November. BRACE has secured funding from Innovate UK under EUREKA collaborative R&D programme 107471.
The aim of the visit was to demonstrate the functionality of the innovative polymer coated materials (PCM) process, which is a very good alternative to other existing joining technologies for metal to CFRP joints. The PCM process competitiveness is mainly related to the following factors:
- It is a rapid process that could typically last for less than 30 seconds
- Joints can be disassembled for re-use or repair purposes and recycling aspects can also be investigated
- It is applicable to most types of composites
- It can be deployed to any part of the supply chain
BRACE has the vision to enable the rapid assembly of composites to metal parts, without the requirement for mechanical fastenings or adhesives. The parts that will be assembled based on the BRACE solution will be easily recycled when end of life is reached.
The partners alongside TWI are: Gestamp Chassis (Lead partner), Far-UK and Brunel University London (participation through the Innovation Centre Brunel Composites Centre).
The Brace project has received funding from Innovate UK under No 107471
