Automotive lightweighting has become a common hot spot in the current plastics industry and the automotive industry. In order to provide automotive plastics and processing technology suppliers with a good opportunity to build a platform, promote exchanges and common development with vehicle and parts companies, Adsale Publishing Co., Ltd. / The Automotive Lightweight Forum co-hosted by "CPRJ China Plastics & Rubber" magazine and FAW Group was successfully held in Changchun, Jilin, China's automobile city.

      Plastics cater to the general trend of automotive lightweight

      At the forum, Zheng Da, Secretary General of China Synthetic Resin Supply and Marketing Association, believed that, driven by the concept of energy saving and environmental protection, safety, comfort, light weight and energy saving have become the main trends in the future development of the automotive industry. With its advantages of light weight, large design space, low manufacturing cost, excellent performance and wide range of functions, plastic has become the best material choice for the automotive industry in the 21st century.

      He said that the application of plastics in automobiles actually has many advantages. In addition to being lightweight, replacing metal with plastic can also reduce the friction between automobile transmission parts, especially the surface friction with metals (aluminum, copper), which not only reduces the coefficient of friction, but also improves sealing and achieves better wear resistance. sex. Improved design flexibility and component integration for improved safety, comfort and fuel efficiency, as well as better sealing and noise isolation.

      Secretary-General Zheng also introduced the technical breakthrough plastic/metal composite technology made by LANXESS in the front end of the Audi A8, which not only reduced the weight of the vehicle, but also improved safety and comfort. 20% weight reduction compared to aluminium of corresponding thickness. Corrosion protection is no longer required, saving costs and simplifying the body production process.

      Secretary-General Zheng emphasized that at present, the number of cars per thousand people in China is similar to that of India, and far lower than that of Europe and the United States. The overall economic prospects of China are improving, and the rapid development of urbanization is bound to drive greater demand for transportation. In the future, the focus of the automotive market will be to improve fuel efficiency and promote the development of hybrid vehicles and even electric vehicles. Plastics will usher in broader development opportunities.

      What is the foreign auto manufacturing industry doing?

      Li Dahua, chief engineer of the Internet of Vehicles Laboratory of Shenzhen Research Institute of Beiyou University, asked the audience in his speech: Do you know what the foreign auto manufacturing industry is doing?

      As soon as the question came out, the spirit of the audience was lifted. Li Dahua emphasized that at the JECCompositeShow, the world's largest composite materials exhibition held in Paris, France, the display of new materials related to CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced resin) in terms of automotive applications has increased significantly. (BMW) and British McLaren (Mclaren) cars have exhibited CFRP body. Similarly, Germany's Daimler (Daimler) and Germany's BASF (BASF) exhibited the concept car SmartForvision jointly developed at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA2011,). The wheels are made of resin and each wheel is 3kg lighter than metal.

      Mr. Li also specially introduced what the foreign material industry is doing? He cited, for example, that in recent years, major Japanese automakers, material manufacturers, related research institutions and auto parts manufacturers have been exhibiting parts, new materials and automotive components that can significantly reduce weight at the Tokyo International Motor Show and the Human and Vehicle Technology Expo every year. new technology.

      Toray has developed the electric vehicle (EV) concept car TEEWAVEAR1, which uses carbon fiber reinforced resin (CFRP) in the vehicle frame and other parts to greatly reduce the weight of the vehicle. The TEEWAVEAR1 concept car is configured as a road-ready vehicle. The car uses a total of 160kg of CFRP, thereby reducing the amount of steel plate by 550kg, the company's goal is to set off a revolution in the field of car design.

      The Hybrid Electric (HEV) Prius wagon hatchback developed by Toyota Automatic Looms for Toyota. The polycarbonate (PC) panoramic sunroof developed as an option weighs about 12kg, which is 40% lighter than the glass sunroof.

      Teijin Corporation of Japan has developed a mass production technology that uses thermoplastic resin to mold CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced resin) vehicle frame parts in one minute. The body frame formed by CFRP is reduced to about 1/5 of the weight of the steel plate, that is, 47kg. At the same time, the collision safety and rigidity necessary for the skeleton are ensured.

      Facing the rapid development of international applications, China's automobile manufacturing industry has a long way to go to reduce weight. In the future, the plastics industry should not be a mere supplier of the automobile industry, but an active participant in the development of the automobile industry, playing a more important role in the development of the automobile industry together with OEMs and parts factories.