Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
The increasing demands for climate protection, resource efficiency, and vehicle range are presenting new challenges for urban electric mobility. Particularly in lightweight vehicle construction, there is a growing need for materials that combine high mechanical performance with a significantly improved environmental footprint. This is where the “Bio-Foam-NFK” project comes in: in collaboration with various partners and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale), novel sustainable lightweight components based on bio-based and natural fiber–reinforced plastic sandwich composites are being developed for use in urban electric vehicles. The aim is to replace fossil-based materials with high-performance biocomposites while creating manufacturing and component design concepts suitable for industrial, sustainable series production.
Sustainable lightweight construction requires new material and manufacturing concepts that combine ecological requirements with industrial efficiency. For structural applications with simultaneous lightweight design requirements, such as mobility applications, sandwich structures consisting of a lightweight core and rigid face sheets are particularly well suited due to their excellent weight-specific mechanical properties. Against this background, the “Bio-Foam-NFK” project is investigating novel manufacturing processes for sandwich structures made of bio-based plastics and natural fiber–reinforced composites or tapes using foam injection molding. Physical and chemical foaming processes are combined with tape-based cover layers and so-called negative embossing; these approaches are being researched and applied to bioplastics for the first time.
The resulting fully automated production concept combines thermoplastic foam injection molding with the integration of functional elements and the high mechanical performance of sandwich structures directly within the component. This approach enables the production of complex and, when bio-based materials are used, sustainable structural components with a high degree of functional integration and significantly reduced weight.
“With Bio-Foam-NFK, we are pursuing a consistent lightweight design approach that combines sustainability, technical performance, and industrial feasibility,” explains Dr.-Ing. Matthias Zscheyge, project manager at Fraunhofer IMWS. “The combination of bio-based plastics, quasi-continuous natural fiber–reinforced tape cover layers, and a highly automated foam injection molding process opens up new possibilities for resource-efficient and sustainable mobility in the future.”
A key objective of the project is to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle components throughout their entire life cycle—both during manufacturing, through the use of sustainable materials and production technologies, and during operation, through lightweight design that reduces vehicle mass in electric mobility applications. The use of bioplastics in combination with natural fiber–reinforced tapes results in lightweight, high-strength biocomposites capable of replacing conventional fossil-based materials. At the same time, the new Bio-NFK material class meets the high quality and processing requirements necessary for fully automated mass production in the mobility sector.
The project combines the expertise of several partners along the entire value chain: Merseburg University of Applied Sciences (HoMe) contributes its expertise in materials analysis and simulation methods; Fuse GmbH develops the Bio-NFK tapes; IDberlin Haller Roose GbR is responsible for product and sustainable component design; YOUR Solution GmbH & Co. KG is responsible for tool development; and Muhr und Bender KG (Mubea) supports the project with application-oriented component demonstrators.
In addition to applications in small urban electric vehicles, “Bio-Foam-NFK” also addresses the growing demand for sustainable materials in other industrial sectors. The material and manufacturing concepts developed can be transferred to industries such as automotive, sports equipment, logistics, and construction. The “Bio-Foam-NFK” project (FKZ 16KN077451) is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) as part of the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) and is managed by the project management agency VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. The project emerged from the ZIM cooperation network “TSchaum + Funktion” (Foam + Function).
(March 2, 2026)