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Thermoplastic Composites in Automotive: Achieve Lightweighting Without Sacrificing Strength or Durability

Thermoplastic Composites in Automotive: Achieve Lightweighting Without Sacrificing Strength or Durability
Language: English
Length: 90 min
Recorded on: 15 Jul 25

Package Includes

6 month access to Course Recording, Presentation Slides, Q&A Transcript

Course Description

Struggling to reduce part weight without compromising strength or durability? This course helps you overcome common pitfalls in thermoplastic composite selection and processing so your parts meet structural requirements, pass validation, and avoid costly failures. Learn how to balance lightweighting goals with mechanical performance using real-world strategies and a landmark case study from the automotive industry.



Led by renowned expert Dr. Srikanth Pilla, avoid redesigns, meet weight targets, and ensure durability from day one.


  • Select the right thermoplastic composite based on mechanical, chemical, and thermal demands
  • Optimize processing (e.g., injection, compression molding) for fiber alignment and defect-free parts
  • Learn from the industry’s first thermoplastic composite door case study and its performance outcomes
Intermediate
Level
Dr. Srikanth Pilla
Dr. Srikanth Pilla
0 courses

Dr. Srikanth Pilla is a globally recognized leader in sustainable materials and manufacturing, with over 20 years of experience driving innovation at the intersection of composites, lightweighting, and circular economy solutions. He currently serves as Professor and Director of the Center for Composite Materials (UD-CCM) at the University of Delaware, and holds cross-disciplinary appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Dr. Pilla is also the Founding Director of ‘AIM for Composites’, a U.S. Department of Energy–funded Energy Frontier Research Center dedicated to advancing AI-driven sustainable composites manufacturing.

Before joining UD-CCM, he held the prestigious ExxonMobil Employees Chair in Engineering at Clemson University, where he founded the Clemson Composites Center and led major collaborations with automotive OEMs and tier suppliers. His early career includes roles at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

With a research portfolio backed by NSF, DOE, DOD, NASA, USDA, and leading global companies, Dr. Pilla has authored 150+ peer-reviewed publications, mentored over 50 graduate students and postdocs, and actively contributes to advancing sustainable engineering worldwide.

He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the SAE International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Energy, Environment and Policy, and has received top honors including the U.S. EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (2021) and DOE Vehicle Technologies Office Team Award (2022).

Dr. Pilla’s work bridges academic excellence and industrial relevance, making him a trusted voice in developing the next generation of sustainable materials and technologies.

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Why should you view this course?

Lightweighting goals in automotive design often clash with strength and durability requirements especially when working with thermoplastic composites.Without the right material selection, processing techniques, and validation strategies, engineers risk part failures, delays, and redesigns. This course gives you a practical, system-level roadmap to confidently design, mold, and qualify thermoplastic composite parts that meet both structural and weight targets faster and more reliably.

  1. Avoid costly part failures and redesigns
    Learn to select thermoplastic composites that balance strength, weight, and durability and prevent long-term issues like creep, fatigue, and cracking.

  2. Improve production reliability and reduce scrap rates
    Master molding techniques (injection, compression, extrusion) to avoid defects such as warping, delamination, and voids ensuring consistent, high-quality output.

  3. Pass performance tests and accelerate OEM approval
    Gain insights into FMVSS, crash, and impact testing, and learn how to integrate digital tools (like FEA) to validate your designs faster and meet certification standards.

Who should join this course?

  • This course is designed for automotive R&D, design, and manufacturing professionals who are responsible for balancing lightweighting goals with structural integrity and long-term durability in plastic and composite parts. 

    It’s especially valuable for: 

    • Design engineers working on structural or semi-structural components using thermoplastics 
    • Materials engineers and technical buyers evaluating composite options for performance and cost 
    • Processing and manufacturing teams solving for warpage, fiber alignment, or molding consistency 
    • Project leads and OEM suppliers preparing parts for crash tests, regulatory approvals, or mass production 

  • Complete the course and (unlock your personalized certificate)– your badge of accomplishment awaits!

  • This course is suitable for intermediate level proficiency
    Intermediate
Questions you will be able to answer after this course:

  1. How do I choose the right thermoplastic composite for structural parts?

  2. How can I balance weight reduction with mechanical performance and safety?

  3. How do I reduce cycle times while maintaining part quality?

  4. What design rules should I follow to make composite parts both durable and easy to manufacture?

Course Outline

Introduction to Thermoplastic Composites

Properties and Benefits:

  1. Strength, lightweighting, and impact resistance. 
  2. Advantages over thermoset composites.

Applications in Automotive Design:

  1. Case study on automotive doors (closures). 
  2. Trends in electric vehicles (EVs) and sustainability. 

Material Selection: Matching Performance to Application

Selection Criteria: 

  1. Key properties: thermal stability, chemical resistance, and mechanical performance. 
  2. Balancing cost, weight, and performance. 
  3. Case study on material selection for automotive doors (closures).

Addressing Durability Challenges  

Failure Modes: 

  1. Fiber-matrix adhesion issues. 
  2. Environmental degradation (UV, heat, chemicals). 
  3. Mechanical fatigue and creep. 

Solutions: 

  1. Improving adhesion with coupling agents.
  2. Selecting appropriate stabilizers and additives. 
  3. Real-world examples of durability optimization. 

Creating a Digital Lifecycle to accelerate new material adoption

  1. Material Data Card Generation
  2. Concept development
  3. FEA Simulations
  4. Process Trials and Simulations
  5. Mapping Process effects on FEA mesh

Manufacturing Excellence: Best Practices for Quality

Processing Techniques: 

  1. Injection molding, compression molding, and extrusion. 
  2. Achieving consistent fiber alignment. 

Defect Avoidance: 

  1. Case study on compression molding of door with examples

Testing of Thermoplastic Composites at Systems Level 

  1. Static Testing (OEM tests)
  2. Dynamic Testing (FMVSS)

Case Study- Thermoplastic door a first for automotive composites

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Prerequisites for this course

It would be beneficial to have some prior knowledge of:

  • Common thermoplastics used in automotive (e.g., PP, PA, PEEK).
  • Matrix-fiber interactions and basic laminate theory.
  • Core processes such as injection molding, compression molding, or thermoforming.

Thermoplastic Composites in Automotive: Achieve Lightweighting Without Sacrificing Strength or Durability
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