May 22 2013
UPM and students from Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences are building a Biofore concept car utilising UPM’s innovative biomaterials as main raw material for many parts and components.
Together with Metropolia, UPM is now able to test the use of renewable biomaterials in automotive applications. The engineering and industrial desing students of Metropolia desing, manufacture and test the car. The project is a cooperation of several organizations, including also the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
“For our students, it is a valuable experience to achieve such a target after several years of focused work. This kind of cooperation project makes is possible.” says Pekka Hautala, Technology Manager from Metropolia.
The Biofore concept car is designed following the principles of sustainability and recyclability.
“UPM creates value from renewable and recyclable materials by combining the expertise and technologies from fibre-based, energy-related and engineered materials businesses. With our breakthroughs, various industries can now replace fossil components with biomaterial-based alternatives without compromising quality, durability or safety”, says Juuso Konttinen, Vice President, New Businesses & Development, UPM.
In the concept car many traditionally plastic parts are made of UPM Grada thermoformable wood material and UPM ForMi cellulose fibre biocomposite. Both UPM Grada and UPM ForMi bring considerable environmental benefit in the overall lifecycle of modern vehicle manufacturing. The concept car will be driven with UPM BioVerno woodbased renewable diesel. UPM’s label materials will be used to mark spare parts as well as in the interior and exterior design. The concept car will be manufactured to be a street-legal vehicle and will be finalized during spring 2014.
For further information please contact:
Juuso Konttinen, Vice President, UPM, New Businesses & Development, tel. +358 40 531 7405
Pekka Hautala, Technology Manager, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, tel. +358 20 783 6115
Source: http://www.upm.com/