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Envalior plastics, composites expertise earns two SPE Automotive Award

Envalior was recognized with the Grand Innovation Award and first place in Enabler Technology for a roof cap design and hybrid composite battery cover, respectively.

Grace Nehls
Edited by:  Grace Nehls
Senior Managing Editor, ÂÌñÏ×ÆÞ and Products Finishing

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Hybrid composite battery cover developed by Envalior’s Tepex team in collaboration with SABIC, Siebenwurst, Ensinger and Forward Engineering. Source (All Images) | Envalior

 (Düsseldorf, Germany) has received two awards at this year’s Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Awards in Bonn, Germany. The company earned the Grand Innovation Award for “Most Innovative Use of Plastics” and first place in the “Enabler Technology” category, underscoring its work in sustainable, high-performance lightweighting solutions for the automotive industry.

The Grand Innovation Award recognizes Envalior’s contribution to the development of a lightweight roof cap — once considered an area unsuitable for plastics — for a premium German automotive convertible, manufactured by Röchling Automotive (Mannheim, Germany). Developed through close collaboration between Envalior, Röchling Automotive and the German automotive OEM, the roof cap combines Envalior’s materials expertise — including its Tepex family of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites —with Röchling’s advanced manufacturing and the OEM’s demanding design requirements.

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Lightweight, high-performance roof crossmember made with Durethan and Tepex materials, integrated at the front of the convertible’s fabric roof for strength and design flexibility.

The result is a lightweight, high-performance solution that meets stringent safety and aesthetic standards. The roof cap is also fully recyclable, aligning with upcoming European Union End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation (ELVR), which sets ambitious recyclability and recoverability targets for new vehicles.

Envalior’s second award — first place in “Enabler Technology” — recognizes a collaborative project between Envalior, SABIC, Siebenwurst, Ensinger and Forward Engineering. Together, the teams developed a hybrid composite battery cover designed to make electric vehicle (EV) battery housings lighter, safer and more cost-efficient to manufacture.

The design features a sandwich architecture composed of two Tepex Dynalite glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) laminates and a flame-retardant, fiber-reinforced core. This configuration delivers low weight, improved heat management, enhanced safety and greater cost efficiency, helping extend EV range and performance.

Together, Envalior says these dual awards showcase how advanced thermoplastics and composite technologies can redefine what’s possible in automotive design. “Winning these awards is not just about a project — it’s about the spirit of innovation and teamwork that drives Envalior forward,” says Sascha Bornemann, global Tepex business manager at Envalior.

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