BASF's polyurethane composite for Jeep's next-generation Grand Cherokee L saves weight

BASF, L&L Products and Stellantis have been recognized for their lightweighting success in composite applications for the 2021 Jeep® Grand Cherokee L, which was launched in May and has just won the prestigious Altair Enlighten Award for weight reduction in vehicles achievements
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Transmission Suspension Systems (TMS) is an area of ​​focus when investigating opportunities to reduce mass and improve durability without compromising safety performance
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The Composite Applied Reinforcement (CTR) is located on the underbody of the vehicle and is part of the overall drivetrain suspension system
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For example, in the event of a minor collision between a vehicle and an opposing vehicle, the CTR transfers the energy load from the outer rail to the transmission mounting beam, improving performance in the field and in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) standard small offset rigid obstacle test
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The use of Continuous Composites™ pultrusion technology and BASF's polyurethane chemistry are key factors in the success of CTR
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Continuous composites combine fiber-reinforced pultruded composite carriers with highly engineered sealants and adhesives in a two-dimensional profile
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This is a continuous process for creating straight or curved composite profiles reinforced with continuous fibers and felt
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This material combination is designed to provide strength, stiffness and stiffness to lightweight structures
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"Continuous Composites enabled L&L Products and Stellantis to achieve a new design that reduces packaging while also reducing mass, and utilizes the surrounding environment on the vehicle to help the load transition to CTR
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Hank, Product Engineering Manager, L&L Products "We've also made technological improvements to be an industry first in processing speed, as we've doubled our normal profile pultrusion output," said Richardson
.
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"This is also the first application of L&L Products using its CCS technology and BASF's Elastocoat® 74850 polyurethane pultrusion material," said Chris Korson, Division Manager, Chassis Markets, Performance Materials at BASF
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"Our Elastocoat polyurethane chemistry plus continuous fiberglass , when used in this type of application, has a superior strength-to-weight ratio compared to ultra-high-strength steels
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We have also developed a new computer simulation method, using our proprietary CAE modeling software Ultrasim® to capture The behavior of the pultruded structure to accurately capture the additional load after failure provided by the composite
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"We're always looking to improve the design, functionality and efficiency of our vehicles," said Brian Dwyer, manager of chassis engineering at Stellantis.
"It
's not easy to find a weight reduction solution that improves overall performance, but that's exactly what we're doing with the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
L's composite applications
.
"

The interior and exterior design of the state-of-the-art 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L provides unmatched capability and refined drivability
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Its famous four-wheel-drive system instilled the Grand Cherokee L with the legendary four-wheel-drive capability of the Jeep brand
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An all-new architecture and sculptural aerodynamic body >
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Designed to maximize overall passenger safety, comfort and convenience, the Grand Cherokee L packs a punch with next-generation features and technologies that set it apart in the full-size SUV segment
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