A Coventry-based manufacturer is currently at a major trade conference in Paris to unveil two of its latest products. Over the next three days, world-leading manufacturing specialist, Penso is showcasing pioneering vehicle door designs for use in rail and automotive sectors at JEC World 2016. The innovative vehicle doors, offer a 30% reduction in weight compared to current aluminium models.

JEC World is the largest composites industry organisation in the world with a network of 250,000 professionals and its annual conference is one of the biggest events of the manufacturing calender year. Michael Collins, Marketing and Sales Director at Penso revealed that a number of train manufacturers had already expressed interest, and were thinking about investing in the new products. No doubt the company will be hoping to convert that interest to orders.

Penso is one a few companies to conduct research in composite chassis modelling and its products, if taken up, will be the first major change the rail sector has witness in some five years. The company designed and produced its own tooling equipment specifically for the production of the state-of-the-art composite door, press-forming the product at its composite facility in Coventry.

Both products have each been rigorously tested for flaws and operational performance, emerging as robust yet lighter alternatives to existing products. The significant reduction in weight to be had has been a major draw for operators and manufacturers for which efficiencies are the principal challenge. By reducing the overall weight of the train or automobile, the amount of fuel needed is, in turn, drastically reduced. What is a proportionally small investment then presents significant long-term advantages. As such, Penso is hoping to achieve orders worth million of Euros by 2017.

Alongside the pioneering train door, the composite speciality will also be exhibiting elements of the VARCITY programme it has carried out in conjunction with various blue chip organisations and automotive leaders. The £16.8m project is geared toward developing new carbon fibre body technologies that are more commercially viable. Jaguar Land Rover, Expert Tooling, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Sika are amongst the list of partners for the project.

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