A Race to Replace: Replacing Steel For Composites Will Make Cars More Efficient! - Forbes

Nashville, TN (December, 2016) - "For years, automakers have longed for a vehicle that possesses the strength of steel without the weight that drives down fuel efficiency. New composite materials could be the answer, but getting them to market has involved years of testing. Five universities, including The University of Tennessee, are part of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). 
IACMI is a $250 million federal initiative created to increase American competitiveness in advanced technologies. 

It is managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS) as a collaboration of industry, universities, national laboratories, and federal, state and local governments working together to benefit the nation’s energy and economic security by sharing existing resources and co-investing to accelerate development and commercial deployment of advanced composites. CCS is a not-for-profit organization established by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation. The national institute is supported by a $70 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, and over $180 million committed from IACMI’s partners.

IACMI’s Composite Materials and Process Technology Area, located in Tennessee and led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, focuses on development and characterization of energy-efficient, high-rate, and low-variability manufacturing processes from constituent materials through composite structures. IACMI’s Composite Materials and Process Technology Area will help to accelerate this industrialization by prototyping and/or scaling technologies in carbon fiber production, composites manufacturing including 3D printing, nondestructive evaluation of composites and composites recycling. IACMI’s Composite Materials and Process Technology Area leverages core capabilities from supporting partner institutions." 

Rod Kirk
Technology Acceleration Specialist