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Honeycomb core specialist ThermHex Waben GmbH (Halle, Germany) recently launched its lightweight Organosandwich semi-finished product, which is said to offer a range of possible applications in the automotive sector. The thermoplastic material reportedly can be used for such applications as the inner bonnet, door modules and under body panels.

ThermHex claims that by using the lightweight material, weight savings of over 80% are possible compared to a monolithic design. Compared to monolithic GF/PP Organosheet, the ThermHex sandwich reportedly requires fewer layers to achieve the same stiffness, which is said to lead to cost savings when using GF/PP-UD tapes. 

ThermHex’s Organosandwich is made of two glass fiber reinforced polypropylene skins, each consisting of two layers of UD tape in 0°/90° and a polypropylene honeycomb core. The in-line laminating process enables an optimum connection between core and skins. The Organosandwich can be shaped and functionalized by injection molding. The company claims load introduction and functional elements at the component edges can be realized in a single step using the material.