Innovation | thermoplastic composites
Thermoplastic composites set for automotive breakthrough
Increasingly tough vehicle emission
Hybrid injection moulding technologies that enable the outstanding strength-to-weight performance of thermo- plastic-based continuous fibre reinforced tapes and fabrics to be combined with the high levels of functionality obtained by over-moulding are on the edge of a break- through. As automotive companies scramble to meet tough new restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions, weight reduction through metal replacement will become a top priority. With fuel efficiency estimated to improve by 1% for every 50kg of weight saved, light weight technolo-
gies present a tremendous opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions. And even small weight savings count; Jaguar Land Rover recently presented data to Injection World showing that a 10g part weight saving multiplies up to a
CO2 emission reduction of more than 850 tonnes over the full on-road lifetime of an entire model run. But a breakthrough with thermoplastic composites (TPCs) will be hard won. Car companies will only take the leap when they are 110% convinced that the technology will do all that its proponents claim. And car companies are notoriously shy of adopting new technologies —how- ever innovative and advantageous they may be in the long-term—if they cost even a cent more than ones they already use. Even today, decades after they first saw the light of day, TPCs are far from low-cost.
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targets are putting weight reduction at the top of carmakers’ agenda. That sets the scene for hybrid
thermoplastic composite technology to finally make its breakthrough, writes Peter Mapleston
While automotive is the prime area of focus for TPC
developments, it is not the only potential application area. A number of significant developments are aimed at consumer electronics, as well as sportswear and other diverse applications. Developing TPC technology, however, requires deep pockets, substantial resources and considerable patience and, today, the key players on the supply-side are major polymer and injection moulding technology suppliers. Among several polymer producers with a strong
interest in the area is DuPont with its Vizilon TPC. DuPont was one of the first companies to develop TPCs back in the 1990s, but having done much of the original development work, it sold its Tepex business 20 years ago to some of its managers who established Bond-
Main image: Already
commercialised in the Bentley Continental GT, thermoplastic
composites are now poised to break into the automotive mainstream
January/February 2017 | INJECTION WORLD 17
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