Can 'Black Gold' Empower the Automotive Industry?

Carbon fiber, this "magical" new material, has the characteristics of high strength and low weight. If it is applied to car bodies, new energy battery packs, low load human-machine vehicles, etc., wouldn't it greatly improve performance?

In Anhui, one side is a carbon fiber material manufacturing enterprise, and the other is a vehicle and battery manufacturing enterprise. A docking meeting brought their "hands" together.

On August 26th, the Anhui Provincial Automobile Office held a special matchmaking meeting for carbon fiber new materials. Representatives from carbon fiber new material enterprises, vehicle enterprises, complete machine manufacturing enterprises, and battery PACK packaging enterprises gathered together, aiming to expand the promotion and application of carbon fiber new materials in the automotive industry and low altitude economy through on-site matchmaking, and connect the "last mile" between the supply and demand sides of new materials.

Carbon fiber materials are highly regarded in the current trend of transformation in the new materials industry due to their broad application prospects in popular industries such as automobiles and low altitude economy.

Any industrial innovation cannot do without the support of application scenarios, and specifically for the new materials industry, its most important vitality lies in applications.

Only when it is put into use can technological progress and industrial transformation gradually take effect, and the expected broad prospects can truly be "realized" as growth space for the industry.

Can the emerging carbon fiber industry create a new industry legend in Anhui?

The great use of 'black gold'

What is carbon fiber?

Most people do not understand, while a few have only a partial understanding. Many bicycle enthusiasts may know that carbon fiber frame bicycles are often the "representative of high-end cars", which can minimize the weight of the body and increase the riding speed by a little bit.

Carbon fiber is not just 'light'. This new material is known as the "black gold" in the industry. Its strength is 5 to 8 times that of steel, but its weight is only 1/4 of steel. It has the characteristics of high strength, light weight, high temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, and is the preferred material for weight reduction and enhancement.

According to international organizations (Technavio), the market size of automotive carbon fiber new materials will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.24% from 2023 to 2027, reaching $18.163 billion by 2027.

At present, the demand for carbon fiber composite materials in low altitude economy and other fields continues to grow, and there is still great room for improvement in the automotive industry.

The automobile industry is the first industry in Anhui and is developing rapidly. The low altitude economy is also accelerating its rise, becoming a "new force" in emerging industries.

Can carbon fiber materials bring a new round of industrial growth points?

At the docking meeting, Zhang Xiangdong, the representative of carbon fiber new material enterprises and founder of Anhui Haoxiang Aviation Technology Co., Ltd., gave a live roadshow, where he explained the characteristics, highlights, and advantages of carbon fiber new materials and the company.

Since carbon fiber is so good, why is its application not widespread enough?

Currently, only some high-end car models in the automotive industry have applied carbon fiber materials, which are limited to automotive transmission shafts, engine covers, and interiors. They have not been widely used yet, not because carbon fiber is expensive, but fundamentally because the manufacturing process is difficult, the processing and production efficiency is not high, and complex stress calculations are required, making it difficult to mass produce, and the yield rate is limited, "Zhang Xiangdong explained.

Zhang Xiangdong introduced that the company has three core technologies, namely carbon fiber pre impregnated slurry formula, polymer inner membrane integrated molding formula, and intelligent composite material curing system, which can achieve low cost, high efficiency, and high yield. In addition, we can adjust the formula according to different product requirements, which can highlight weight loss or rigidity

What do buyers care most about

The docking meeting cannot be solely based on the seller's words, as potential customers have also raised many professional questions.

Buyers from car companies are asking questions one after another. For example, Gu Zhiping, the head of the Supply Chain Procurement Center of Jianghuai Automobile Group, said that in the past, carbon fiber materials were mainly used for automotive interior and exterior decoration, rarely for vehicle structure, and the most important factor was cost. So, how to control costs?

Zhou Miao, Senior Manager of NIO's Industry Planning, said that some materials in NIO ES5 and ES6 also use carbon fiber, but the application is relatively limited. Large scale supply and cost are the key factors. So, what are the sources of cost composition?

Car companies will focus on "cost". Faced with this question, Zhang Xiangdong answered on site and provided a cost price, stating that the larger the quantity, the lower the cost, and the stability and price are leading in China. The main sources of cost are labor and raw materials, and with good cost control, the product has a price advantage.

Car companies not only care about costs, but also about the quality of materials. Zhang Junhua, head of the functional materials research department of Chery Automobile Research and Development Institute, said that in order to develop low-cost carbon fiber materials, it is necessary to design the recycling and remanufacturing of carbon fiber materials, so as to minimize the cost of materials, but at present this field has not been widely promoted. In addition, how to establish a testing and evaluation system is also a consideration, and car companies are also very concerned about the quality of materials.

Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry (Hefei) Co., Ltd. is an enterprise engaged in the production of civil aircraft, and the questions asked are also very professional and systematic. The deputy director of the structural department of the company, Mi Yingjuan, believes that carbon fiber materials are rarely used in manned aircraft at present, and the most concerned issue is the quality and strength of the materials. After all, people need to be seated, and safety is the most core. Later, she also inquired in detail about the details of material manufacturing, asking both professionally and thoroughly. Zhang Xiangdong, a representative of the material company, provided answers and responses one by one.

Forward looking vision and long termism

This is not only a "salon" for exploring new material technologies, but also a meeting for both supply and demand sides to negotiate. It is not necessary to achieve results or sign contracts on site. The meeting itself is a good posture for serving enterprises and promoting cooperation.

Holding this special matchmaking event for carbon fiber new materials, focusing on specific sub sectors of 'carbon fiber new materials', and building a communication and exchange platform for whole enterprises, is aimed at expanding the promotion and application of carbon fiber new materials in the automotive and low altitude economy fields, further promoting the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure, and enhancing the competitiveness of enterprise products, "said Xie Feng, head of the Parts Promotion Group of Anhui Provincial Automobile Office.

Recently, the Anhui Provincial Automobile Office also held a promotion meeting for the comprehensive utilization of new energy vehicle power batteries and a meeting for the recycling and utilization industry alliance of new energy vehicle power batteries, leveraging the role of the provincial new energy vehicle power battery recycling and utilization industry alliance, strengthening departmental cooperation, implementing division of responsibilities, and increasing factor guarantees.

In the first half of this year, Anhui's automobile production reached 1.506 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 46.7%, accounting for 10.8% of the national total. Among them, the production of new energy vehicles was 621000 units, a year-on-year increase of 81.4%, accounting for 12.6% of the national total.

The industrial chain of the automotive industry is very long. In the construction of the industrial chain and supply chain, government departments at all levels in Anhui have played a powerful role as a "tangible hand": formulating policies, coordinating services, and planning guidance.

Industrial cultivation is a long-term process. The government should not only actively provide platform services, but also guard the boundaries of behavior. We will not be absent or overstepping our boundaries, adhere to a long-term approach, and carefully cultivate the industrial ecology with a forward-looking vision, systematic thinking, and overall layout.

By striving to do these things well, carbon fiber, the 'black gold', should move towards a golden future.