Automotive Structural Components
Lightweight Materials for Cars
Automobiles can be safe and sound without being weighed down by metal. Structural composites are lightweight, fatigue resistant and easily molded to shape, making them ideal substitutes for components in a car’s frame, body, or suspension. Give drivers the energy efficient, materially advanced automobile that will give them peace of mind on every trip.
Highlights
- Chassis stiffeners and braces are often made of steel or aluminum. Lighten up with thermoset structural composites
- Metal structures restrict your design options. Polystrand™ thermoplastic structural composites give you the chance to flex your creative muscle
- Remove weight, not strength, by replacing the metal in your brackets with OnForce™ LFT long fiber materials
- Our extensive line of color and additive masterbatch products and services match colors exactly across many different plastic materials, while preventing material degradation due to heat, cold, hydrocarbon exposure and mechanical abuse
Technologies
| Product Name | Description | Characteristics | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasforms™ | Pultruded thermoset composites | Stiffness | Fatigue strength |
| Polystrand™ | Continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites | Stiffness | Ability to post-form |
| Complēt™ and OnForce™ LFT | Long fiber reinforced plastics | High Stiffness | Good impact in structural and metal replacement applications |
| Edgetek™ Toughened PPA | Polyphthalamide formulations | High temperature performance and excellent impact resistance | Low moisture absorption for mechanical and structural integrity |
Resources
| NAME | CATEGORY | DESCRIPTION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Aftermarket Side Step | Case Study (Snapshot) | Moisture-resistant Complēt™ long glass fiber reinforced formulation improves strength, design freedom, and finish | View |
| Automotive Removable Roof Bracket | Case Study (Snapshot) | Complēt™ long carbon fiber reinforced polyphthalamide composite replaced steel in bracket securing roof panels and achieved an 80% weight reduction | View |
| Automotive Steering Column Bracket | Case Study (Snapshot) | Complēt™ long carbon fiber reinforced nylon composite replaced metal steering column supports and lowered weight by 50% | View |
| How to Lightweight Automotive Components | Article | Explore three key opportunities for metal-to-plastic conversion | View |
| Optimizing Automotive Structural Component Designs with Advanced Modeling | Article | Learn how virtual capabilities can improve performance. | View |
| Panels for Off-Road Vehicles | Case Study (Snapshot) | Ten engineered material and Masterbatch solutions provided global service improvements for panels on off-road vehicles | View |
| Piranha Marine Propeller | Case Study (Snapshot) | Complēt™ MT Long Glass Fiber Reinforced Nylon 6 improved durability and vibration damping allowing the blades to flex and absorb energy from minor impacts | View |
| Replacing Aluminum with Long Fiber Thermoplastics (LFT) | Application Overview | Key factors and comparisons to consider when replacing aluminum with long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFT); including processing and material performance summaries | View |
| Services Capabilities Overview | Product/Service Overview | Discover the comprehensive technical services available through Specialty Engineered Materials at Avient to assist customers | View |