Mazda Strengthens Body Frame with Structural Foam

Mazda plans to use resin foam to fill body frame parts to boost strength, while adding very little weight. The technology was first applied to the automaker's new RX-Evolv concept --- the long-awaited successor to the RX-7 --- in its freestyle door system. Although the concept doesn't have "B" pillar, Mazda claims the vehicle still offers good performance against side collision. Mazda is reportedly planning to apply its foam technology to production vehicles. Application of the foam is straightforward. During production, a resin foam material is attached inside the body frame in sheet form. Then heat from the painting process expands the foam material, which then hardens inside the frame. The premise of pouring resin foam into vehicle body frames to add strength or reduce NVH has been around for sometime. But conventional methods either used thicker steel or reinforcements to increase strength and safety, Mazda says. However, these methods also resulted in added weight.

Mazda RX-Evolv