Daily BrewMagna’s new car parts made from wood will improve fuel efficiency
As car companies strive for greater fuel efficiency to help motorists reduce costs, a Canadian automotive giant is working on an eco-friendly solution to reduce the weight of cars.
Magna is substituting wood fibre with some of the glass fibre on some structural components such as doors and running boards. The benefit of wood is that it costs and weighs less and is a renewable natural fibre.
"Magna is proud to have been chosen as development partner for this important project to introduce low-cost sustainable materials into products for our customers," said William Harney, Executive Director, Research and Development for Magna Exteriors and Interiors, in a statement. "The dual challenges our industry faces to reduce the cost and weight of auto parts can be addressed in part with high performance wood fibre reinforced plastics. This in turn will provide improved fuel economy for consumers in a cost-effective sustainable solution."
The parts will be just as strong and have the same mechanical and physical properties as regular parts with glass fibre.
The Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) announced the project alongside Magna Monday afternoon.
CRIBE is investing $1.3 million into the technology because it supports forestry and the automotive industry in Ontario. They are a not-for-profit paid for by the government of Ontario that is charged with making Ontario a leader in the bio-economy and transforming the forest products industry in northern Ontario.
"Ontario's forestry industry has been hit very hard over the past few years due to a number of factors including the economy, declining demand for paper products and the high Canadian dollar," said CEO of CRIBE Lorne Morrow in a statement. "Opportunities like this are exciting because they have the potential to provide a new industry which will create new demand and a new revenue stream for Ontario's pulp mill."
CRIBE was previously involved with financially helping an Ontario pulp mill work with a a U.S. company to develop a new technology to produce fuel from wood waste.
Once Magna finishes initial testing on the wood fibre parts, they will be increasing the percentages of wood fibre to further increase performance and fuel efficiency.
(Photo courtesy of CRIBE)
