The new generation of automobile manufacturing is undergoing a major transformation due to new regulations focused on fuel efficiency, CO₂ emissions, and environmental sensitivity. In this context, structural materials such as steel and aluminum used in car bodies are increasingly being replaced by fiber-reinforced plastics (as seen in projects like BMW-i), primarily to reduce vehicle weight. Replacing mass-production-optimized materials like steel and aluminum with fiber-reinforced plastics has created a strong demand for high-value, fast-cycle production plastic composites. Although these specialized plastic formulations are relatively new even in the European automotive industry, they are still in the incubation stage in Turkey, with very few local manufacturers currently active in the field.
FORMulate is an international team of polymer chemists and materials engineers with infrastructure spanning Germany and Turkey. At the end of the project, the team aims to develop and optimize special prepreg resin systems capable of enabling production cycles of less than 2 minutes per part—making them well-suited for mass automotive manufacturing. These materials will be directly applicable to composite part production in the automotive sector and are expected to provide significant export value to the Turkish economy. With the successful outcome of the project, Turkish automotive composite part manufacturers are expected to significantly enhance their global market share.
The project is currently in the preliminary experimental phase. As of April 2016, the resin system—originally designed to cure under 5 minutes at 180°C—is now reacting in under 1 minute at 140°C. The experience gained from these automotive-specific polymer systems will also be transferable to industries such as aerospace, wind energy, and construction. FORMulate ultimately aims to become Turkey’s first high value-added thermoset resin producer.
