Eco Composites discusses the material used to provide engine compartment protection and asserts, in part:
Continuous fibre-reinforced Tepex composites from Lanxess subsidiary Bond-Laminates are finding new applications in the area of automotive bodywork.
In the latest success story, a Tepex Dynalite variant is being employed to provide engine compartment protection in the Mini John Cooper Works GP – the quickest Mini ever, according to maker BMW.
“The extreme strength and toughness of our material work very much in its favour,” says Harri Dittmar, a lightweight design expert at Bond-Laminates. “These characteristics make the underbody protection – prone as it is to stone hits and even grounding on poor roads – more robust and extremely resistant to impact. In addition, the regular alignment of the composite’s continuous glass fibres lends the component an attractive carbon-like appearance.”
* * *
