RezyPart: Optimized use of recycled materials in vehicle construction thanks to artificial intelligence
Ein gemeinsames Forschungsprojekt fränkischer Unternehmen soll den Einsatz wiederverwerteter Kunststoffe, sogenannter A joint research project involving Franconian companies aims to make the use of recycled plastics, known as recyclates, in vehicle construction safer and more efficient. To this end, automotive supplier Brose, plastics center SKZ Würzburg, software developer LabV Intelligent Solutions GmbH, and plastics processing and trading company R.PLAST are pooling their expertise. The “RezyPart” project, which started in August 2025, also relies on artificial intelligence (AI).
Project consortium excursion to R.Plast (from left): Tobias Göbel (Scientist Compounding and Extrusion, SKZ), Tobias Heinrich (Customer Success and Implementation Manager, LabV), Dr. Marieluise Lang, Dr. Lars Helmlinger (both R&D) and Christian Schürger (Development Engineer Materials Engineering, Brose SE). (Photo: SKZ)
Joint project paves the way for sustainable circular economy in the automotive industry
Recyclates are considered an important building block for greater sustainability in industry. Their use can significantly reduce the carbon footprint and strengthen the circular economy. In practice, however, recycled materials often exhibit inhomogeneous material qualities and contain foreign particles such as metal residues, dust, grease, or various types of plastic. These can have a negative impact on mechanical properties such as tensile strength and make it difficult to use them safely in technical components.
This is where “RezyPart” comes in: The project, coordinated by Brose, focuses on developing AI-supported software that can accurately predict the effects of such contaminants on components. This makes it possible to draw conclusions about the suitability of certain recycled materials. In view of growing legal requirements, this is a real milestone in using the highest possible proportion of recycled plastics in vehicle construction.
The basis for a true circular economy
“As a strong partner to the automotive industry, it is our responsibility to use recycled materials in a way that does not compromise safety. At the same time, as a family-owned company, we want to make an active contribution to sustainability,” emphasizes Peter Weidinger, Head of Materials Engineering at Brose. “With RezyPart, we are developing an AI solution based on our data platform to enable us to precisely evaluate the quality of recycled materials in the future and make reliable statements about component properties,” adds Dr. Stefan Thomas, Managing Director at LabV Intelligent Solutions.
SKZ Würzburg also considers the pooling of expertise to be an important step for the industry: “With ‘RezyPart’, we are paving the way for meeting legal and customer-specific requirements and see this as the start of a comprehensive recycled material initiative,” says SKZ project manager Tobias Göbel. “We are laying the foundation for integrating recycled materials into sophisticated components in a targeted manner and with high quality. In this way, we are promoting a genuine circular economy in the automotive sector.”
Support from the Free State of Bavaria
The “RezyPart” project will run from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2028, and is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy. Public support reduces economic risk and creates space for technological innovation.
