Industries

NFRP parts for lightweight commercial-vehicle components.

Side cladding, roof modules, flaps and covers — manufactured as light, ready-to-fit components with a defined surface, fit and function.

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Challenge

What really counts in Commercial Vehicles parts.

Today every part has to meet several goals at once — that is exactly where natural fiber composite comes in.

Cost pressure: parts must become more economical — with rising requirements
Reduce weight — for payload, range and CO₂ targets
Ensure a defined surface, fit and joining points
Weather, UV and stone-chip resistance in continuous use
Integrate functions instead of assembling many single parts
A reliable, series-capable supplier with manufacturing depth

Components & applications

What we manufacture for Commercial Vehicles.

Side cladding

Large-area and light, with a defined visible surface.

Roof modules & roof spoilers

Aerodynamics meets lightweight design — stiff and light as a sandwich part.

Service & cover flaps

Ready to fit incl. hinge and fastening points.

Front & rear cladding

Complex geometries with high surface quality.

Hoods & covers

Impact-resistant, weatherproof and repair-friendly.

Cladding parts become functional components.

Benefit

Lighter — and more economical.

NFRP reduces not only weight but directly the part cost — with properties comparable to GFRP.

−15%

Part cost

−30%

Weight

−90%

CO₂

Why NFRP lowers the part cost

Less weight = less material

Lower density and an optimized layup reduce material usage per part — directly cost-effective.

High automation

Semi-automated impregnation and digitally defined processes reduce manual work and manufacturing cost.

Manufacturing efficiency

Short cycle time through the reusable vacuum hood and ready-to-fit delivery save follow-up costs.

Up to 50% lower part weight
Mechanical properties comparable to GFRP
Ready to fit incl. inserts & fastening points
Defined surface and fit

Why natural fibre fits here

Why cladding parts on commercial vehicles are the obvious place to start

In commercial-vehicle construction, a large share of the plastic parts covers surfaces that are big and visible but do not work at their strength limit: side cladding, roof modules, service and cover flaps. That is exactly where a lower material density has the most immediate effect, because the weight comes mainly from surface area rather than from locally highly loaded zones.

The conflict of objectives is particularly sharp in this sector: payload, range and CO₂ targets push on weight, while requirements for surface, fit and function integration keep rising — and part costs are supposed to fall anyway. A change of material alone does not solve that. It only becomes economical when layer build-up and manufacturing process are designed together for the specific part.

In practice

Already realised — with measurable results.

Commercial vehicle

Cover flap, commercial vehicle

−50%

Weight

Comparable deflection & pull-out at the mounting points
Lower material cost through higher material efficiency
Ready-to-fit component with a defined surface

From a single source

Concept, material, tooling, manufacturing and assembly with one partner — fewer interfaces, less risk.

Reproducible series

Digitally recorded process parameters ensure consistent part quality — up to ~5,000 units / year.

Our own technology

Patented NFK Wetpreg Molding and in-house material design as a real differentiator.

How we work

From the part concept to the ready-to-fit series.

One continuous path — series-ready and reproducible.

Part concept & package

Requirements, packaging, interfaces — thought through from the first concept.

Load cases & engineering

Stiffness, temperature, vibration, weather and fastening points.

Material & layup

Natural-fiber plies, resin system, sandwich layup, local reinforcements.

Prototypes & sampling

Sample parts, demonstrators, fit trials, iteration on the real part.

Tooling & manufacturing

Prototype and series tooling, process window, trimming, quality assurance.

Finish & assembly

Gelcoat, painting, inserts, fastening points, ready-to-fit delivery.

Start with an NFRP concept study.

You don't have to commit right away: send us an existing GFRP part, a drawing or an idea. We assess the potential — and you see whether the path is worth it.

Potential assessment: weight, cost and properties
Direct comparison NFRP vs. your current GFRP part
A concrete assessment on the real part — no theory
A clear recommendation for the next steps

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Frequently asked

Questions from this sector

How much weight can be saved on a cladding part?

On a realised cover flap it was around 50 percent compared with the GFRP version, at comparable deflection and comparable pull-out forces at the fastening points. The achievable figure depends on the part — large-area, stiffness-driven parts benefit most.

Are the parts delivered ready to fit?

Yes. Inserts, fastening points and the defined visible surface are part of the delivery, so that no rework arises in your assembly.

How do the parts behave under stone chip and weathering?

Weather, UV and stone-chip resistance are set through the resin system, additives and layer build-up and designed for the application. That belongs in the design, not in post-treatment.

From what volume does the switch pay off?

What matters is not volume alone but the overall calculation of tooling, cycle time, trimming, surface, rework and assembly. In the concept study we work that out for your part — including when the switch does not carry itself.

Let's talk about your component.

Send us a drawing, an existing GFRP part or an idea — we'll get in touch and assess the potential for natural fiber composite together.