Lightweight solutions for increased sustainability within airport infrastructure II

Important results from the project

A hybrid material solution that is at least 20% lighter has been demonstrated, resulting in a floor for a docking module that weighs 29 kg, which is 73% lighter than the original floor. The floor consists of a basalt fiber sandwich laminate and has an embedded floor heating coil. However, the floor was not installed for real-world testing. The cost is difficult to estimate as the reduced total weight of the entire module leads to lower transport costs and energy consumption during operation.

Expected long term effects

After further testing of the demonstrator in a real docking module and a building a complete module, an industrialization plan can be developed. Discussions have been held about future projects, and the industry partner is exploring how to proceed with the results. With results that lead to a lighter, more environmentally friendly, and possibly cheaper product, there are long-term growth opportunities and competitiveness. The results also applies to products for ports and ferry terminals.

Approach and implementation

The project was carried out in several work packages with good content and regular Teams meetings and a workshop. The project started a bit later since a project partner was bought by another company but then it proceeded smoothly until the demonstrator was to be manufactured. The material, which we smoothly had received a few meters of as a sample, took a very long time to obtain. This led to a couple of project extensions. The collaboration worked very well, as did the contact with Vinnova.