The automotive industry, whether public or private, cars, buses, or goods vehicles, is facing in the next decade the most disruptive transformation in its history. The advent of autonomous driving, electric vehicles, restrictions on car use in urban areas, lightweighting, environmental regulations, end-of-life recycling, safety and in-vehicle health monitoring, the call for reductions in emissions and noise, as well as the sustainable use and re-use of materials, and associated changes in legislation are all driving revolutionary changes. A new era of urban mobility is upon us with the advent of driverless/autonomous electric vehicles and vehicle sharing as opposed to ownership. These will impact directly on the manufacture, use and development of textiles in this sector.
Therefore, the time is right to introduce a new conference exploring how the changes in the automotive industry will offer opportunities for technical textiles, nonwovens and composite fibres.
Suppliers of woven and knitted fabrics, smart textiles, nonwovens and composites will all need to address these trends and satisfy radically new demands, for interior and exterior applications on vehicles. This conference will examine these trends from the point of view of the opportunities they present to the technical textile industry.
Textile Opportunities in a Changing Automotive Industry – the 1st international conference will bring together the key players in the industry, from OEMs and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers to raw material manufacturers, and suppliers of technical textiles, nonwovens, composite fibres and machinery. Presentations will examine in detail how these trends are already reshaping the automotive industry, and its supply chain, and will continue to do so in the next decade and beyond.
Topics for discussion include:
- Textiles for a unique passenger experience
- Innovations in lightweight, sustainable, and robust textiles
- New textiles sources for sound insulation to adapt to changes in vehicle design resulting in new NVH (noise, vibration harshness)
- Smart textiles – for monitoring physiological signs of passengers, and providing information and entertainment during the journey, to innovations in user experience
- The use of natural fibres and plant-based polymers for enhanced sustainability
- Materials that make vehicles lighter, smarter, cleaner and more comfortable
- Composites for lightweight and bespoke components
- Graphene-enhanced materials for automotive applications
- Changes in supply chain and manufacturing planning that are needed to bring innovations to market
- Limiting factors and future trends in automotive textiles
The conference programme, speakers, and abstracts can be viewed on the conference website, where you can also register as a delegate at the current Early-bird discounted rate.
Also Read: Self-drive cars and new opportunities of textiles to the automotive industry
