IACMI’s Michigan Facility
Lightweighting vehicles through composites technologies
Located in America’s Automotive Capital of Detroit, IACMI SuRF accelerates composites innovation – from lab to full-scale assembly.
Equipment + Expertise = Opportunity!
IACMI’s core partner in Michigan is the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). More than 75% of all the U.S.’s automotive R&D occurs in Michigan. A focal point of research and development in this area are composites technologies that offer both significant weight savings and high-volume manufacturing.
The IACMI Scale-up Research Facility (SuRF) in Detroit is in a unique position in the United States composites ecosystem to develop and scale emerging composites materials and manufacturing technologies, prototype multi-functional composite components at full-scale, and demonstrate at high-volume cycle times. The SuRF is an integral asset to the evolving future mobility ecosystem in the City of Detroit.
Companies that have been involved in projects at the SuRF include VW, Ford, General Motors, BASF, Dow, Teijin Automotive. Equipment partners have included Litzler, Milacron, Schuler, and Fill.Michigan is home to the IACMI Scale-Up Research Facility (SuRF).
Key Equipment and Technology:
- Milacron® 3,000T Injection Molding Cell
- FILL Gesellschaft Multilayer Layup Machine
- Hennecke Group HP-RTM Compression Molding Unit
- C.A. Litzler Prepreg Line
- Schuler 4,000T Compression Press
Representative projects
- Qualification: Epoxy resin system for high-volume automated manufacturing applications
- R&D: Injection molding process for low-cost textile-grade carbon fiber
- Validation: EV battery enclosure manufacturing process with new fire-resistant resin
- Design to Factory: SUV lightweight composite liftgate
Technical Area Advisor
Raymond Boeman
SuRF Director
rboeman@iacmi.org
865-274-1025