WINNER: Liftgates get new design freedom
Magna Exteriors
Troy , MI
2020 - PACE Award Winner
Innovation: Composite space frame
First Customer: Toyota Supra
Magna Exteriors created a new process for a game-changing composite space frame technology. Magna’s solution, first appearing in the 2020 Toyota Supra as a composite space frame for a liftgate, combines structural foam with a continuous fiber filament winding.
The frame begins as a polyurethane foam core that is wound with glass or carbon fibers. The fibers are impregnated and set with a polyurethane resin.
The internal skeleton reduces rear liftgate weight as well as increases structural rigidity, allowing a liftgate to be designed with bolder, more complex styling options. As a result, the technology gives auto companies a new way to think about body design and engineering.
Website: magna.com