Press Release Clean Energy & Ocean Solutions

Hanwha Advanced Materials Opens New Possibility with NET Credit-won Technology

August 20, 2014

Hanwha Advanced Materials- Aramid Car Bumper Beams for Hyundai Motor Company:
the Performance Test Equipment and Beam Concept

Hanwha Advanced Materials, headed by CEO Kim Chang-bum, has been awarded the New Excellent Technology Certification (NET) for its “Manufacturing Technology of Thermoplastic Aramid Prepreg* for Lightweight Car Bumper Beams,” which it has co-developed with Hyundai Motor Company.

The NET certification is awarded to new technologies developed in South Korea or for innovation involving existing technologies. The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS), which operates within Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy, issues the certification with the approval of the Government of South Korea.

After winning a NET in April 2014 for the development of “the world’s first hybrid front bumper beams,” Hanwha Advanced Materials has once again proved its caliber as a manufacturing leader in the field of lightweight car-parts composite materials with this new NET.

According to Hanwha, the new NET-won technology can combine thermoplastics with Aramid fibers. Aramid fibers are a kind of super fiber usually used to make bullet-proof body armors and well-known for their excellent impact energy absorption capacity. With the new technology, Hanwha Advanced Materials will now be able to manufacture lightweight car bumper beams which are around 50% lighter than current metallic bumper beams while enhancing crashworthiness of vehicles by maximizing the energy absorption capacity of car bumper beams.

“The new technology can help improve fuel efficiency as well as reduce carbon emission by applying Aramid fibers, which have been used in only limited areas such as aerospace and defense industries so far, to car-parts anufacturing in order to make lightweight car-parts for the first time,” a Hanwha Advanced Materials official said.

Hanwha Advanced Materials specializes in a variety of interior and exterior auto components made from lightweight materials including glass fiber mat-reinforced thermoplastic (GMT), lightweight reinforced thermoplastic (LWRT), and expandable polypropylene (EPP). The company has strengthened its position of the best strategic partner, which can help auto makers, including Hyundai, General Motors, Audi, Honda, and Volkswagen, achieve their omnidirectional car weight reduction strategy, on the strengths of its abilities to develop tailored processes and applications, which span part designing-forming-performance tests for its clients.


* Prepreg
  • the term generally refers to intermediate materials used in manufacturing composite materials in order to enhance the specific strength and stiffness of a material by combining fibers with polymeric materials through a reinforcing agent.

For more information:

Hanwha Advanced Materials PR
Taeho Hur
Tel: +82 (0)2 729 1434
Email: taeho0730@hanwha.com

Hanwha Advanced Materials

Founded in 1965, Hanwha Advanced Materials’ vision is “A high-tech materials company that protects the values of humanity and the environment.” To achieve this vision, we’re developing an innovative line of products and technologies that are more environmentally conscious while catering to the needs of our customers around the world. We produce lightweight composite materials and thermoformable components for automobiles, highly efficient advanced film for solar energy, and high-performance coating films for mobile phones and display. We have also developed local production plants and R&D centers in South Korea, the US, Europe, and China. Our global sales continue to rise.

For more information, please visit: www.hwam.co.kr/en

Hanwha Group

Founded in 1952, Hanwha has grown quickly by anticipating and responding to changing business environments with a balanced business portfolio that includes energy & materials, aerospace, finance and retail & services. Our expertise and synergy in key areas have catapulted us into the seventh-largest business in South Korea and a Fortune Global 500 company. Hanwha continues to grow rapidly as we strive to pursue global leadership in all of our businesses. We are building a robust foundation for sustainable development and a brighter future for everyone.

For more information, visit: www.hanwha.com