Regulatory requirements and customer expectations argue in favour of the use of lighter materials. Plastics have taken over the interior, have found applications under the hood and, to a lesser extent, are used in some structural parts. The long-awaited development of plastics, is that of the car body 'in white' and, above all, bodywork. Progress is slow because designers lose their traditional points of reference when faced with materials that have different mechanical and physical behavior to that of metals, with materials that are used with other means and other cycle times and that are difficult to paint to a good surface quality without manual retouching (SMC), etc. Obviously, the cost and limited mechanical characteristics of the material require an unconventional approach to make the most of the recognized advantages. At the same time parts design needs to be completely reviewed - so collaboration with the style department needs to begin as early on in the project as possible. The combined efforts of manufacturers, suppliers and industrial chemists is necessary for this in-depth review. The chemist must ensure the consistent quality of the materials offered (while reducing the number of grades), the manufacturing company must ensure consistent molding parameters and be committed to reducing tooling production times, the supplier and/or manufacturer must integrate the features of these materials in the design phase and their changes.
Future applications for plastics in the automotive industries
2001
10 Seiten, 1 Tabelle, 6 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Future applications for plastics in the automotive industries
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