Page 36 - Plastics News April 2018

FeAtures

Other Design Considerations adding reinforcement features like ribs, gussets, thicker
walls and radii.
Manufacturing Efficiency
Determining how a plastic performs in the end-user
Injection molding is faster, more efficient and can achieve environment often depends on prototype testing (for
higher tolerances compared to making automotive example, analyzing post-mold shrinkage and warpage).
die-cast metal parts. In fact, it is easier to make complex, For automotive safety, it is especially important is to
high-performance parts or products with highly controlled evaluate plastics for strength, hardness, flexibility,
injection molding processes that require fewer steps, corrosion resistance, fatigue and long-term creep. Metals,
especially as it relates to secondary operations, part being much more thermally conductive (without as much
consolidation and inventory maintenance. In addition, hysteretic loss), don’t necessarily present the same
plastic molding tools can last 500,000-1,000,000 cycles challenges. As such, testing needs to be appropriate to
longer than those used for die-casting, and require less capture true fatigue resistance and creep. In general,
maintenance and downtime
metal creep does not exist at typical, everyday usage
Design Freedom temperatures and loads. On the other hand, if plastic parts
are not designed correctly, they can creep, stress or relax.
Style is a critical element of automotive designs, and
plastics give engineers greater latitude to innovate. By Conclusion
making a wider range of geometrical possibilities possible, Engineered plastics already offer many advantages,
plastics help designers think in more creative ways about including lighter weight, parts consolidation, net
complex forms, performance in harsh environments, shape components, aesthetic improvements and better
shielding considerations, weight and structural limits, durability. Meanwhile, material suppliers continue to
thermal management, and product differentiation—both develop high-strength thermoplastics that are increasingly
for performance and aesthetics.
resistant to impact, corrosion and heat. As a result, more
Maintaining Automobile Safety auto suppliers are converting from metal components to
plastic.
It’s important to note that directly substituting plastic for
metal in a design rarely works because the differences in Thanks to these advances, plastics are poised to
mechanical properties of plastics and metals will affect revolutionize automotive manufacturing with improved
product performance. In most cases however, a smart performance and enhanced manufacturability of complex,
designer can easily compensate for these variations by mission-critical automotive parts.

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Plastics News April 2018 36