Röchling Automotive showcases thermoplastic lightweight solutions for commercial vehicles at IAA Transportation 2026
- Thermoplastic structural components, hybrid material concepts, and new housing and structural components for high-voltage batteries take center stage at IAA Transportation 2026
- From cross car beams to battery housings: lightweight solutions from initial concept to series production
- Solutions on display from September 15 to 20, 2026, in Hall 12, Booth A03
Mannheim, September 14, 2026 | The shift toward lower-emission vehicles requires manufacturers to reduce weight, costs, and CO₂ emissions simultaneously. At IAA Transportation 2026, Röchling Automotive demonstrates how advanced materials, intelligent design, and integrated development processes can help meet these demands. The presentation will focus on thermoplastic structural components, plastic-metal hybrid solutions, and new housing and protection concepts for high-voltage batteries.
At its booth, the company will present products from the fields of Aerodynamics, Structural Lightweight, Fluid and Air Management, and Battery Solutions.
Thermoplastics as a key to greater circularity
One key area of focus is the use of thermoplastic materials. Unlike traditional thermoset solutions, thermoplastics can be remelted at the end of their service life and processed into new components, offering significantly greater potential for closed-loop material use and mechanical recycling.
In addition to selecting recyclable materials, Röchling Automotive uses recycled feedstock in selected applications, including plastics recovered from marine waste.
Thermoplastic composites also offer considerable potential for safety-critical components. Röchling Automotive is developing a cost-optimized underbody protection system for electric vehicles that combines high impact resistance and low weight with strong fire performance and thermal insulation.
Lightweight design through the intelligent combination of plastic and metal
In addition to all-plastic solutions, Röchling Automotive uses hybrid structures that combine the respective advantages of plastic and metal. Metal is used where high stiffness or specific load requirements are essential. Plastic, in turn, enables complex geometries, design freedom, and the straightforward integration of additional components.
Cross car beams are one example of this approach. Combining the two materials not only reduces component weight but also enables additional functions to be integrated directly into the structure. This helps reduce the number of components, simplify assembly, and lower overall system costs. Hybrid material concepts follow the principle of using the right material in the right place.
“Our integrated development approach enables weight savings of up to 40 percent for cross car beams and reduces material-related CO₂ emissions by up to 66 percent compared with conventional metal components,” says Martin Schüler, CEO of Röchling Automotive.
Housing and structural components for high-voltage batteries
Battery systems vary in size and dimensions depending on the vehicle platform. Modular concepts are therefore becoming particularly important in the commercial vehicle sector. Plastic and hybrid solutions provide the necessary design and manufacturing flexibility.
Röchling Automotive develops battery housings and structural battery components that combine plastic structures with metal reinforcements. This can partially replace conventional metal solutions while reducing both weight and material use.
Development expertise from concept to series production
Röchling Automotive serves as a development partner across the entire value chain. The company supports customers from the initial concept through design, simulation, and testing to series production.
This approach brings together design optimization, material selection, process development, and functional integration. This full-service approach enables the development of tailored solutions for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and future mobility applications.
