Toronto, Ontario — The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s (APMA) Project Arrow will feature crash system components from Canadian manufacturer Cymat Technologies and its design partner Tesseract Structural Innovations.
Cymat and Tesseract will design and supply a number of components for specific areas of the Project Arrow concept car, including Cymat’s SmartMetal aluminum foam, which the company says combines ultra-lightweight features with high-strength aluminum skins.
The companies said Project Arrow’s doors, battery enclosures and front and rear crash systems could incorporate the SmartMetal tech.
“Cymat Stabilized Aluminum Foam (SAF) is a cost-effective solution to address automotive companies’ competing needs to lighten vehicles, yet improve crashworthiness and occupant protection,” says Cymat on its website. “SAF is a lightweight material whose cellular structure provides superior energy absorption capabilities. These characteristics are becoming increasingly important as consumer demand and legislation require safer, more efficient, and easier to repair vehicles.”
“The prominence of our material in Project Arrow along with the associated exposure to other key auto parts suppliers will undoubtedly open the door to further collaborations,” said Cymat CEO Michael Liik.
“The challenge in building the vehicle of the future is to balance active technology with a lightweight philosophy,” said APMA President Flavio Volpe. “To win the range game, Automakers need a transformational materials science strategy. This is Project Arrow’s bet on Cymat.”
