The document discusses the increasing use of plastics in automobiles as an alternative to metals. It provides examples of common plastic applications like instrument panels, engine components, and tires. Plastics compete with metals based on weight savings, design flexibility, and ease of fabrication. Specific plastic materials used in different car parts are listed. The document also discusses how plastics are processed and compares properties of plastics to metals. It highlights benefits plastics provide like weight reduction and lower tooling costs compared to metals for certain applications.
10.
ULTEM polyetherimide (PEI) resin to replace
aluminum under the hood for 1st time
• High-performance
amorphous resin from
GE
• Complete air management
modules can be made of
thermoplastic
Throttle Body
11.
Plastic Body Panels Chevy Corvette since
1953
Sheet Steel - still most commonly used for vehicle
body structure
Aluminum - weighs less but costs more
Plastics - increasingly used for metals parts
replacement
13. Advantage
of plastics
• Better color match
• Incorporate in existing
facilities
• Assembly line
temperatures exceed
200oC
Alloys:
Polyphenylene ether/polyamide
ABS/Polyesters
ABS/Polycarbonates
• Larger choice in
materials
• Additional steps take
time
• More plastics will
enter the market as
assembly lines are
redesigned
14. Highly cross-linked and highly filled
Polymer component is polyester
Suitable of compression molding
Molded product combined high modulus with high
strength
Body panels (hoods and deck lids)
More expensive than metal, but lower tooling cost
15.
Bottom line benefits
◦ Tooling for SMC hood was 23% of steel
◦ Weight savings of 18%
• Growth of applications
- Body panels on GM’s Lumina, TransPort, and
Silhouette
- Structural components - valve covers, grilleopening reinforcements, fascia supports, etc.
• 250 million lbs. of SMC was used in 1997
16. Composite front fenders and hood design
for 1995 Lincoln Continental
Result of need for lighter-weight and more
cost efficiency integrated system
SMC fenders and hood
Bottom line benefits:
◦ SMC fender tooling was 40% of projected tooling
for steel fenders
◦ Comparative weight saving was 33%
17.
Toughened Safety Glass (TSG)
- tempered glass
Laminated Safety Glass (LSG)
- two panes of glass bonded together
using polyvinylbutyral
The heat deflection temperature or heat distortion temperature (HDT, HDTUL, or DTUL) is the temperature at which a polymer or plastic sample deforms under a specified load. This property of a given plastic material is applied in many aspects of product design, engineering, and manufacture of products using thermoplastic components
Polycarbonate (HDT=140 °C) will not deform at 120 °C but acrylic (HDT=90 °C) would deform