AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS AND EXTERIORS | MATERIALS
Plastics suppliers have worked with injection moulders to tailor
materials to applications that meet the sustainability goals of car manufacturers. By Mikell Knights
Adapting plastics to meet changing needs in auto
Material choices for automotive interiors and exteriors have become more diversified and specified to an application. Yet they continue to keep function, performance, costs, and aesthetics in sight as they open the door to light weighting, carbon reduction, sustainability, and use of renewable materials. A Borealis Fibremod long glass fibre reinforced
PP grade was used to produce the largest ever all-thermoplastic tailgate for Volkswagen AG’s Transporter Multivan model. The tailgate, which took home the second-place award for chassis unit/structural component at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Central Europe’s 21st
Automotive
Awards, delivered weight savings of around 200 kg compared to its immediate predecessor as well as a lower CO2
footprint and lower energy consump-
tion in manufacturing, and it incorporated a renewable polymer and is recyclable. Borealis and
www.injectionworld.com
Volkswagen worked with Tier One supplier Magna Exteriors to manufacture the completely rede- signed tailgate. Borealis developed Fibremod GB416LF as a
lower-density replacement for conventional engineering polymers that was specifically tailored for use in tailgate carrier and visible structural parts. The high-flow 40% glass fibre reinforced material fulfills stringent emission and mechanical perfor- mance requirements and offers excellent surface aesthetics that eliminate the need for additional surface finishing steps such as painting. The material offers excellent flowability for smooth processing, and low warpage, as well as excellent fibre impregnation and flexibility in the use of various PP matrices. The tailgate consists of several components, including an outer frame and inner part made of the Fibremod GB416LF, glued together to meet design
Main image: Sabic thermo- plastics are used in more than 25 applications in the Lucid Air e-vehicle
November/December 2022 | INJECTION WORLD 41
IMAGE: LUCID
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
