New Progress in Automotive Lightweighting - Plastic Tailgate

China Color Masterbatch Transaction Network News: In recent years, car companies have made great progress in hybrid systems, fuel cell vehicles, engine technology, body weight reduction and so on. One of the most favored areas for car companies is car lightweighting. As a material that can not only achieve lightweight effect, but also reduce costs, modified materials have always been the first choice material for many vehicle companies in lightweight exploration.

Lightweight plastic tailgate

With the advancing of lightweighting of automobiles, various “weights” of weight loss emerge one after another. Not only modified plastics are used in interiors, doors, fronts, seats, etc., but even modified plastics are used extensively in car fuel tanks, bumpers and car tailgates.

Taking the car tailgate as an example, the material of the car's tailgate has been developed in the direction of a traditional steel tailgate, a composite material tailgate, and a plastic tailgate.

After research, the mature production models using plastic tailgate modules include: Renault Espace4, Nissan Nissan New Chijun, Changan Peugeot Citroen DS6, Citroen C4 Picasso, Peugeot 308S (for benchmark models), Jaguar Land Rover Aurora, Volvo XC60 and other models.

It is not difficult to see that the plastic tailgate technology has been widely used in foreign and joint-venture brand cars, and this year, the latest eQ1 electric vehicle launched by Chinese automaker Chery has been used by the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation because of its internal structure of the tailgate. SABIC's polyolefin material achieves a 40% weight reduction!

Vehicle plastic can achieve tailgate weight reduction 1.3~5KG

The implementation of Euro VI emissions in 2014, and the carbon emissions target in 2020 and even the carbon emissions target in 2050 are a hurdle for major OEMs.

In order to meet relevant standards, various OEMs and their suppliers continued to explore and developed the third-generation tailgate, a plastic tailgate.

The inner panel of the full plastic tailgate uses long glass fiber-reinforced PP (LGF+PP). The outer plate and spoiler use PP or TPO. The parts are all molded using injection molding and then assembled using a glue coating process.

The difference in stiffness modulus between long glass fiber reinforced PP and SMC materials is not too large (according to different glass fiber ratios, the effect will be very different, and some low-component glass fiber reinforced PP pieces are still “soft” on the sensory surface. ), but the density is smaller than that of SMC. Generally, the density of SMC material applied to the tail gate is around 1.8. The same proportion of glass fiber reinforced PP+LGF density is generally around 1.5, which is approximately 1.3 kg. Less dosage of +LGF material additive has advantages in the detection of VOC; injection molding process is more efficient than the compression molding process. In conclusion, the use of modified plastic as tailgate material not only has a better weight reduction effect, but also can save production costs.

Material companies develop plastic tailgate

The first vehicle to use this kind of plastic tailgate was Renault's new Clio in 2012. Its inner panel was LGF-PP, its outer panel was PP, and its spoiler was ABS. In the pre-research phase of the project, Renault decided to lower it. Heavy 10% and easy to recycle target. In order to achieve this goal, the material supplier Styron (now renamed Triseo) worked with Reynolds for two years and eventually developed a full-plastic tailgate that can be produced in volume. The inner panel, outer panel and spoiler are all Trinseo materials.

In 2013, the tailgate supplier Peugeot developed its own first plastic tailgate, the tailgate of the Peugeot 308, the inner plate LGF+PP, the outer plate and the spoiler PP, and the material supplier was SABIC.

At the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, Nissan released its third-generation X-trail, carrying the plastic tailgate developed by Magna.

The 2014 BMW i3 uses the plastic tailgate developed by Magna.

Judging from the current situation, it is certain that the plastic tailgate will surely become more and more popular in the future. SUVs and MPV models, hybrids and electric vehicles all have lighter methods to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, or enhance endurance. Therefore, more and more car companies will try to do this!

With the increasing emphasis on car lightweighting by car makers, the outlook for automotive plastics will become even clearer. The era of material companies fighting for strength in the automotive sector has come. Many domestic material companies have already obtained a large number of applications for automobiles. In the near future, more companies will join the competition and more cars will use domestically. Modified plastic.