Client Background
The client was part of a large US-based advanced manufacturing group specialising in the production of components in both metallic and composite technologies across the Aerospace and Defence, Automotive and Mobility Sectors. Within this group, our client is a specialist in the manufacture of thermoplastic composite components. Over several years, they have developed strong capabilities in lightweight composite structures, including wheels for off-road application. While these wheels performed well for their intended applications, they were never certified for use on commercial road-legal vehicles.
The client approached the LES consulting team to explore whether their existing composite wheel manufacturing technology could be adapted for road legal applications. LES assembled a multidisciplinary team, comprising of experts in product design, engineering and simulation, composite manufacturing and industrialisation, testing, and automotive homologation, eventually delivering the design the engineering and prototypes for an Automotive light weight composite wheel, ready for production.
Key Activities undertaken by LES
Certification & Regulatory Analysis: Review of the certification landscape required to introduce a thermoplastic wheel into the automotive market. Regulatory pathways were mapped, identifying the key testing steps and defining the overall validation effort necessary for a road-ready product to establish the technical and regulatory scope of bringing a new wheel concept to market.
Product Attribute Definition: Definition of the core performance attributes of a thermoplastic composite wheel. Key considerations included improving efficiency, enhancing performance and integrating sustainability principles – shaping both the engineering approach and the commercial positioning of the wheel.
Global Electric Vehicle Market Analysis: Comprehensive assessment of the global EV market was carried out to identify the strongest commercial opportunities. Analysis covered projected vehicle production, segment trends and component compatibility to determine an optimal target vehicle and broader market applicability.
Competitor & Pricing Landscape Assessment: Evaluation of existing market solutions to determine competitive positioning. Analysis included manufacturing approaches, pricing strategies and performance claims to help establish a realistic cost and price target ranges for the new component.
Advanced Engineering & Design Development: A new component architecture was developed based on the defined performance requirements and optimised for TP composites manufacturing processes. The team carried out design work taking into account manufacturing constraints, materials and feature testing, structural assessment and virtual simulations to evaluate performance under relevant operating conditions. A full production concept was outlined, including key process steps and cost considerations for industrialising to scale the wheel production system.
Prototype Demonstrator Development: A physical demonstrator of the concept was produced to support early evaluation and customer discussions. The prototype reflected the intended geometry and design direction, enabling stakeholders to visualise the concept without committing to full industrial tooling.
Customer Engagement & Market Validation: Supported internal and external customer engagements, where the demonstrator wheel was presented to automotive manufacturers as part of a structured process managed by LES. Technical and commercial materials aided these discussions, allowing potential customers to assess the concept and its benefits. Feedback provided useful validation of the feasibility work completed.
Summary
This work spanned market analysis, design development, simulation, materials and processes evaluation, manufacturing technology down selection and TRL tracking, prototyping and “go to market campaigning”, all delivered through a coordinated and integrated approach. LES can combine strategic insight with technical expertise to guide a new concept from early-stage exploration through to tangible demonstrator. The project stands as a clear example of a turnkey solution with effective cross-functional collaboration, enabling a clear definition of a product strategy, associated business case validation and executive advisory on go to market strategy.
SERVICE CATEGORIES:
Background
The client is positioned at the heart of domestic advanced manufacturing and innovation integration across industry, academia, and the public sector.
As part of a strategy refresh, the client wanted to ensure their technology focus was aligned to the country’s net-zero goals consolidating their ability to support SMEs operating directly in, or in the supply chain of, key consumptive and polluting sectors.
The project was positioned as an opportunity to re-evaluate the client’s strategy and external engagement to ensure their in-house state-of-art capabilities in sustainable advanced manufacturing technologies could be targeted to provide optimal benefit across the domestic manufacturing market.
Scope & Deliverables
- Composite structures market study – technology trends and drivers (with particular focus on automotive, aerospace and renewables industries)
- Supply chain opportunity study for state-of-art composite manufacturing technologies
- Sustainable technologies and sustainability capabilities analysis
- Sustainable Composites Manufacturing Roadmap creation supporting our client’s strategy shift
SERVICE CATEGORIES:
A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH
LES provided a team of technology and strategy experts to carry out analysis of the client’s current capabilities, advanced manufacturing opportunities aligned to these capabilities, target markets for the client’s technology and skills offerings, and supported the client in determining their growth strategy. The client’s aim was to support the domestic advanced manufacturing sector and business’s operating along associated supply chains towards more sustainable practices.
LES supported the client in ensuring their capabilities, technology focuses, and sustainable development vision was aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).
Key activities undertaken by the LES team on this project were:
- Composites manufacturing and end-of-life technology capability and innovation study to consolidate client capability offerings and areas of development for alignment to UN SDG Target 9.5 to “enhance scientific research and upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries”.
- Identification of composites technology market trends within mobility, energy infrastructure and renewables sectors. Identification of strategic achievable alternative markets for the client to engage in cross-sector collaboration towards a unified and sustainable domestic-market advanced manufacturing technologies implementation strategy. In doing so, LES ensured UN SDG Target integration across:
- UN SDG Target 9.4 to “upgrade industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes”
- UN SDG Target 11.B to “substantially increase” those “adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change”
- UN SDG Target 12.2 to “achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources”
- UN SDG Target 12.6 to “encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices”
- Identification of potential collaborators for the client within composite technology supply chains and domestic advanced manufacturing. In doing so, LES ensured UN SDG Target integration across:
- UN SDG Target 17.16 to “enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilise and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries”
- Creation of a sustainable composites manufacturing roadmap
LES provided the client with a series of detailed reports supported by a full debrief session. This included:
- Composite Technology and Structures cross-sector report
- Strategy implementation report & Roadmaps
