11 JANUARY 2021

Since 2019 Sabelt has been working in reducing the environmental impact of its production. The aim is to develop and produce a new line of seats made with innovative and "green" materials. Thanks to the Carbogreen project, financed within the "IR²" call issued by the Piedmont Region in Italy and supported by the European Fund for Regional Development, we are evolving to become a low environmental impact manufacturer for more info, read the news dated 12th December 2019.

Sabelt has started a feasibility study for a "green seat" consisting of a reinforced seat structure using new generation chemical and plastic materials.

A deep analysis to characterize these new “green” materials, compared with the conventional ones, has created a wide and complete database to expand Sabelt's know-how on this specific topic. The study focused on different solutions such as natural flax and basalt fibers, recycled carbon fibers, thermoplastic resins, recycled polymers, organosheet and UD tape with thermoplastic and bio-based matrix.

From a performance and cost point of view, the following materials have been proved to be very interesting and useful for the project: basalt fibers for lamination in partial or total replacement of glass fibers for structural shells; recyclable thermoplastic resin for lamination to replace thermosetting resins in structural shells; UD tape with thermoplastic and bio-based matrix for the reinforcement of the structural shells in the areas of greatest stress; recycled thermoplastic polymers for the production of cushion shells and carters.

We are progressing and we are also developing the most innovative materials with the support of FEM analysis. Soon we expect to manufacture prototypes for validation.