Thermoplastics – The Future Of Car Manufacturing

To keep ahead of the competition, manufacturers of automotive components are looking to move from traditional materials such as steel and aluminium to lightweight composite alternatives.

Less weight on body and transmission components means that more technology can be added without increasing overall weight – ergo exhaust emissions – helping the manufacturers comply with increasingly strict emissions legislations.

In a nutshell, composites reduce weight, therefore keeping emissions down, and paving the way to automotive success.

Current composite technology uses Thermoset Plastics to produce parts that weigh less, but the future lies in Thermoplastic technology that can also be reused and recycled – an innovative new composite product that ticks even more green eco-boxes for car manufacturers.

Pultrex is developing this cutting-edge technology right now, striving to be at the forefront of composite manufacturing, to be able to bring improved Thermoplastic composite products to market. This will help companies worldwide manufacture automotive parts that weigh less than ever before, and at the same time manufacture parts with greater recyclability and with the ability to be reformed.

Successful car manufacturers will be the ones who meet and exceed emissions targets – making the switch to composite materials essential for part manufacturers.

Composites vs Steel and Aluminium

• Composites exhibit an improved strength to weight ratio compared to steel.
• Composites are better at handling tension than aluminium, reducing fatigue and maintenance.
• Composites can be custom-tailored to add strength without adding weight, ideal in critical areas that bend or are prone to wear.
• Composites are inherently corrosion resistant, able to stand up to severe weather and wide temperature changes.
• With the exception of carbon-fibre, composites are nonconductive superior insulators, resisting the flow of electric charge and unresponsive to an electric field.
• Composites streamline production and reduce maintenance because a single piece can replace an entire assembly of metal parts.
• Composites precise weight distribution enables balanced loading, less friction, and greater momentum.
• Composites are strong yet flexible, able to bend significantly without snapping.
• Composites absorb and dissipate vibrations, ideal for applications such as equipment mounts.