Advanced composites specialist Gurit (Wattwil / Switzerland; www.gurit.com) has launched two new composite materials for automotive applications.

Designed to meet the high-quality and high-volume needs of the car industry, the “Smartcure” epoxy prepreg press moulding system allows for automated lay-up, pre-forming at room temperature and rapid hot-in, hot-out production methods at high service temperatures. Suitable for a variety of structural and non-structural parts, Gurit said the system has been successfully beta-tested by several car manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers.

Gurit “Prime” 180 is a two-component low pressure RTM system designed to achieve high-temperature performance and good surface clarity for both structural and aesthetic applications. The Swiss firm said the system’s low ambient viscosity and wide injection window allow for quick fill times, resulting in fast processing cycles and higher productivity.

In December 2016, Gurit acquired BASF’s (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) PET structural foam business, which it plans to integrate and further develop as part of its composite materials division – see Plasteurope.com of 06.12.2016.