Valeo presents its composite solutions at JEC World 2023

The fight against global warming, the electrification of mobility and the scarcity of resources are calling on the automotive industry to reinvent itself and innovate. Valeo has made a strong commitment to reducing its carbon footprint to be carbon neutral by 2050. To offer its customers products that are always safer but also more sustainable, Valeo has developed real expertise, with teams dedicated to the development of new innovative materials and their many applications.

Valeo has chosen to work in particular with organosheets. These high-performance composites are made of a fabric of long glass fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix and their carbon footprint is smaller than that of aluminum and allows an average reduction of 50% CO₂eq on scopes 1,2,3 upstream with an additional weight saving of 12%. These materials offer great rigidity which provides excellent resistance to impact, essential for passenger safety but also to protect the battery of electric vehicles. The properties of this material open many opportunities to integrate technologies such as LiDAR or lighting supports by guaranteeing the stability of light panels and radars on the front.

Francisco Moreno, President of Valeo Thermal Systems Business Group explains: “composite
materials open amazing opportunities for the automotive industry and Valeo is proud to be one of the pioneers in their use. Today, our structural parts made of organosheet materials are in series production and we keep on innovating to develop new innovative materials and applications. We are convinced that composite materials will enable us to develop new affordable solutions and services for safer and greener mobility.“

On its stand (F83), Valeo will present its latest innovations for the vehicle chassis as well as its solutions for structural parts already in series production:

• The organosheet crossmember is the world’s first structural part made of thermoplastic composite materials for mass production. In series production since 2018, it offers a weight reduction of around 30%.
• The first organosheet case for the battery holder (48V) has been in series production since 2020. It offers a weight saving of 40% compared to a metal solution. This concept applies to the battery cases but also to the front cases.
• The front bumper beam is under development with several customers and offers an average weight saving of 30%.