But what do thermoplastic composites have to do with sustainability and green energy?

These are extraordinary materials that have immense potential in terms of applications and, in conjunction with this, can also make a major contribution to the conservation of resources and therefore the issue of sustainability. And this is precisely where Dr Ahmad Al-Sheyyab and his Technology Platform Composites team come in – every day they are passionately committed to the research and development of composites and their processing. Their aim is to optimise existing products by means of improved properties, such as thermal insulation, weight savings and rigidity, and to open up new business opportunities.

What is it that makes composites so exciting for REHAU? 

One example is the development of a dynamic wind turbine blade, which helps to improve energy efficiency. The market potential is huge. The wind energy industry is currently experiencing new impetus. "It would be great if REHAU can apply its skills to gain a competitive advantage in this field," says Ahmad.  Together with Industrial Solutions and the REHAU Technical Centre, his team succeeded in bringing about the hitherto impossible during a pilot project in 2020. With the aim of achieving the same development as with other fluid dynamic blades (aircraft, ships, rockets), REHAU developed a pure polymer system during this project in which no metallic structural materials were used.
 

What are the future opportunities for REHAU?

In the construction industry, a great deal of work is also underway to identify new potential for composite technologies in building and infrastructure markets, because thermoplastic composites are actually a high-tech substance compared to traditional building materials (steel, wood and aluminium), but are still not recognised as such in the conservative and price-sensitive building industry. In order for us to further advance this technological development and embrace new areas, investment was recently approved for the expansion of our composite plant.

REHAU has always considered materials and functional properties, says Al-Sheyyab, citing the GENEO window profile system as a successful example. "We're now applying our knowledge in a more targeted, market and opportunity-driven manner than before," says the lightweight construction expert. For the latest generation of windows, the composite specialists are currently working with Window Solutions to implement huge window profiles made of thermoplastic-based composites. "In terms of technology, this is a great opportunity for us."

However, the Team Leader thinks the biggest opportunities for the use of composites are in the lightweight construction and transport sectors. "But it will take time and patience," he believes "to achieve a breakthrough in traditional markets and build sustainable customer and market acceptance, as well as infrastructure and plant technology."

When it comes to lightweight construction, in particular, says Ahmad, composites offer many advantages over metals: not only as a result of weight and CO2 savings, but also due to corrosion resistance and the possibility of integrating other functions into the material.

"The aforementioned examples demonstrate that cooperation between our divisions is working extremely well, regardless of whether we’re developing a new material, process or product idea and presenting this to the divisions, or whether they come to us with a requirement, i.e. a need for composite solutions. However, in order to better understand our customers’ future needs," says Ahmad, "it's no longer enough to simply consider the options in terms of technology and materials – we also need to make much more effort to incorporate customers’ requirements into any development from the outset."

What words would you use to describe your work and your team?

"It's a great combination!" is Al-Sheyyab’s spontaneous reply, and the enthusiasm with which he talks about his work is contagious. A combination of research and development plus a combination of practice and theory make his job extremely varied. "We deal with a wide range of markets, customers and internal departments," he continues, "and there are incredibly broad application areas with diverse development priorities and activities."

Ahmad shares his passion, which hasn't waned even after 14 years in Composite Research and Development, with his teammates, Stephan, Nils and Manuel. The Composite Development Team combines a wide variety of specialist skill sets, such as mechanical and process engineering, chemistry and materials science, as well as product development and design. This diversity characterises the team, because when developing new composite solutions, the expertise of each individual is only fully deployed when they share their experience and interact with one another. So in this instance too, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts…