Daimler has partnered with the University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Aircraft Design in order to conduct joint research that aims to dovetail development and production research of lightweight construction. The long-term agreement which involves research into production, simulation, and design of FRP/CRP lightweight construction components.

The setup coincides with the University’s ARENA2036 Research Campus project, which involves six institutes within the University. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

“An intelligent material mix and lightweight construction have been an integral part of Mercedes-Benz vehicle construction for decades,” said Prof. Herbert Kohler, Daimler’s Chief Environmental Officer and VP for Group Research and S
ustainability.

“The challenge is to use FRP and also CRP in the series-production vehicle in such an economically efficient manner that the overall costs remain attractive for the customers,” added Kohler. “We are addressing this together within the framework of our cooperation.”

“Together with Daimler, in the future we primarily want to investigate faster and more cost-effective procedures in order to meet the challenges of large-scale production with new technologies,” said Prof. Peter Middendorf, the Head of University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Aircraft Design.