INTERIORS AND EXTERIORS | AUTOMOTIVE
Automotive megatrends spur the need for plastics
The processor chip shortage has had a severe impact on car production, but nonetheless advances in moulding technology and materials continue to support automotive plastics innovations. By Mark Holmes
The automotive market is on the move again and injection moulding machine manufacturers and developers of compounds and composites are innovating to meet the multitude of challenges presented by the move to e-mobility and electric vehicles, while meeting sustainability targets with higher quantities of recycled materials. Mobility is changing and automakers are
gearing up for the ultimate electric and digitally connected reinvention, according to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. Already, vehicle interiors have commenced the shift towards greater comfort, convenience, driver safety and creating a sensory experience. For exhausted engine vehicles, noise reduction, efficiency and weight reduction remain major trends. Additionally, for hybrid vehicles there is a focus on improving and regulating the thermal management of the temperature to ensure the
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system can adapt to the ambient temperature and maintain comfort for passengers. In all-electric vehicles, current trends are focused on improving the protection of the current. Materials like Duro- plastics are experiencing a renaissance. Addition- ally, the vibration and resonance behaviour are totally different in an EV and consequently need a new selection of materials and part design. As a result of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and infotainment trends, car interiors are changing fast, says Nigel Flowers, UK Managing Director of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. Bulky dashboards are being replaced by more aesthetically pleasing minimalist surfaces. Customisable controls are boosting comfort. Interior lighting, acoustic systems and sound insulation are being integrated into door panels. Featuring fewer switches, tactile panels create a more sensory experience for
Main image: Future interior vehicle designs will offer drivers a greater sensory experience with fewer buttons and switches
November/December 2021 | INJECTION WORLD 27
IMAGE: ISTOCK/JAMESTEOHART
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