From Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 October 2020, the International Conference and Exhibition on Thermoplastic Composites (ITHEC) in Bremen, Germany, will be held online, and over three days instead of two, for the first time.
M3B GmbH/Jan Rathke
ITHEC to be held online and over three days for the first time
The 2020 programme comprises 50 lectures and 40 poster presentations on the application areas aerospace and automotive and new technologies.
Project Manager for ITHEC Daniel Schäfer said: "Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we decided to hold the Congress and the accompanying exhibition virtually this time, adjusting the structure at the same time.”
The Congress will take place at www.ithec.de.
The organisers are expecting over 500 specialists from industry and research to attend the fifth ITHEC to discuss the latest research about lightweight construction materials. This year the programme includes 50 talks and 40 poster presentations on applications in air and space travel, as well as automotive and new technologies.
Companies and research institutions will again showcase their current developments in the accompanying professional exhibition. More than 50 exhibitors have already registered for the event.
Schäfer added: "We can't currently give a final figure for the digital ITHEC, since registration is still open. However, we can say that exhibitors will be able to present their exhibits and machines live and interactively direct from the lab – thanks to our virtual platform.”
Fibre-reinforced construction for vehicles is among the core topics. An expert team from the automobile supplier Faurecia and the IRT Jules Verne research institute from France are working on the use of fibre-reinforced composite materials. This means that the structure of a rear car seat can be produced in one piece by manufacturing the structure of the rear seat with an injection moulding machine in a single shot.
Compared to conventional metal designs, manufacturing this structural component using carbon fibres achieves weight savings of almost a third and reduces material costs. The manufacturing time is also less than a minute.
The full Congress programme for ITHEC 2020 can be found on the website.
