Plastic Innovations: Automotives

Recycling plastics: a win-win scenario for automakers

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Originally published on Examiner.com

As automakers turn to plastics and composites to trim weight and increase the safety of their vehicles, they’re also taking advantage of plastics recycling in the manufacturing process.

Plastics recycling comes with many advantages, among them a reduction in resources needed to produce new plastics and less reliance on landfills. Estimates state that recycling one ton of plastics saves 22 cubic meters of landfill space and conserves 80-90 percent of the energy used when making new items from plastics.

<b>Recycled plastics can be high quality
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Experience has shown that auto parts made from recycled plastics can have the same level of quality as those made with original materials. Though recycled plastics often have a different use in their next life, such as when plastics recycled from bumpers are made into mudguards, plastic car parts are sometimes recycled to make the same types of parts. For example, Ford reported that in Europe it is recycling bumpers that have been damaged into new bumpers and other plastic parts.

<b>What are plastics being recycled into?</b>

Recycling of plastics is not limited to what has been retrieved from obsolete automobiles, however. Manufacturers also use recycled plastics from bottles, containers, and other plastic items to make anything from seat cushions to dashboards to bumpers in their new vehicles.

<b>Wheel liners:</b> Chrysler has used recycled plastics in wheel liners for the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 200.

<b>Seat cushions:</b> Ford is the first automaker to use REPREVE®, a fiber made with recycled plastic water bottles, for seating fabric, introducing it in several 2013 and 2014 models including its Focus, Fusion, Edge, Mustang, and F-150. Ford needs 22 plastic 16-ounce water bottles to make the fabric for the seats of a Focus, 39 for the Fusion, and between 63 and 110 for the F-150, depending on the model. The company has said that any new seat fabric used in Ford vehicles must contain at least 25 percent recycled material.

<b>Radiator shrouds:</b> GM makes extensive use of recycled plastics. Plastic caps and shipping aids from its facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, are mixed with other materials to make 25 percent of the radiator shrouds for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks built at the plant.

<b>Air deflectors:</b> Air deflectors on GM’s Chevy Volt are made with 25 percent plastic caps from GM plants, 25 percent post-consumer plastic bottles, and 50 percent other recycled materials.

<b>Car interiors:</b> Jaguar Land Rover recently announced it was going to use recycled plastics in the interiors of some of its luxury vehicles. Land Rover already uses recycled materials throughout its popular Evoque model, equivalent to reusing one thousand 500ml plastic bottles.

<b>Bumpers:</b> Honda, in its 2013 North American Environmental Report, said that scrap bumpers generated in the manufacturing process (post-industrial bumpers or PIBs) at five of its plants in the U.S. and Canada are reformulated to make mud and splash guards. In fiscal year 2013, Honda recycled 620,858 pounds of PIBs.

— Mazda is recycling plastics from used bumpers to manufacture new bumpers for vehicles. The company uses a process to remove paint from old bumpers to create a recycled plastic resin for use in making new vehicle bumpers.

— Nissan stated that recycled plastics have been given new life in the form of bumpers for its electric vehicle LEAF and other new vehicles. The company also said that bumpers are being recycled into materials for other components.

Recycling is good business

What do car manufacturers gain from recycling? GM declared that recycling “makes good business sense,” with about $1 billion generated annually from recycling and reuse. Among the benefits, Ford noted that the use of recycled materials reduces consumer and industrial waste, cuts back on the depletion of natural resources, and reduces energy consumption.

In 2013, the EPA announced a change in the interpretation of its regulations that will allow for the recycling of plastics that are separated from automotive shredder residue (ASR), which could further add to the use of recycled plastics in automotive manufacturing. Plastics account for more than half of ASR. Now, instead of winding up in a landfill, 95 percent of the ASR plastics potentially could be used to produce new products such as automobile components.

The use of plastics and recycled plastics not only makes sense economically by simplifying the cost of making components, but it also helps manufacturers become good corporate citizens when it comes to the environment.

It’s a win-win situation all around.

Recycling plastics: a win-win scenario for automakers

Originally published on Examiner.com As automakers turn to plastics and composites to trim weight and increase the safety of their vehic...

Advanced Plastics are the Future of Our Autos

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From high-end sports cars to your everyday minivan, plastics have revolutionized the automotive industry. Some of the newest, most cutting-edge vehicles—such as those displayed at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show—can give us a glimpse at how plastics will continue to “drive” future automotive innovation.

These vehicles represent significant advances in manufacturing, safety, design, performance, and fuel efficiency, and they all have something in common: advanced plastics.

Manufacturing
Not so long ago, plastics inspired automakers to rethink the materials they use for their vehicles—and now, plastics are actually bringing about the evolution of the manufacturing process itself. Plastics are well suited for 3-D printing (also known as additive manufacturing), a process in which layer upon layer of material is built up to form an object—a car part, in this instance. This process can create less waste than traditional manufacturing techniques that strip away material from a larger piece. Plus, it gives manufacturers the flexibility to produce more creative or custom designs.

Quick history: Local Motors was one of the first to 3-D print an electric car, called Strati, which is made with a plastic composite called carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). The process of 3-D printing the Strati with CFRP is quite efficient—it takes only a couple days to print the body of the vehicle, which is manufactured as one large piece. Considering that traditionally manufactured cars can contain tens of thousands of painstakingly assembled parts, that’s a big deal—with great potential for improved efficiency, cost savings, and convenience in auto manufacturing.

At the recent LA Auto Show, Local Motors featured Olli, an autonomous, electric vehicle made with 3-D printed thermoplastics. Olli seats multiple people for a ride sharing experience like no other, in particular because the vehicle integrates the advanced cognitive computing capabilities of IBM Watson. Hop in and ask it for recommendations for dinner or a sightseeing spot, then sit back and relax as Olli takes you there. In addition to being lightweight and efficiently powered, many parts can be recycled at the end of Olli’s lifespan due to its plastic construction—all of which means Olli just might represent the future of eco-friendly public transit.

Vehicle Design and Performance
Advanced plastics also help enable innovations in vehicle design and performance. For the Chevy 2017 Corvette Z06, the automaker created an aesthetic that’s distinctively bold and super sleek, employing unique design elements that use durable plastics molded into the body of the vehicle. Looking for a performance boost to go with that stylish design? Rest assured: plastics help make this car lightweight and aerodynamic, which contributes to improved speed and handling.

Another example: designers of the Cadillac CT6 created its hood, splitter, and wheel spats using CFRP, high-performance materials with truly exceptional strength-to-weight ratios. Not only are these design elements very cool-looking and super lightweight, but they actually enhance the performance of the vehicle; the splitter, for example, forces low-pressure air underneath the car to maintain traction at high speeds. Some car companies also make spoilers and air dams, which are designed to help performance, with CFRP.

Fuel Efficiency
“…today’s vehicles are comprised of approximately 50 percent plastics by volume but only 10 percent plastics by weight.”
Modern, fuel-efficient cars have come a long way since the heavy gas-guzzlers your parents or grandparents drove. Among other reasons, that’s because heavier materials are being replaced with lightweight and durable plastics, so much so that today’s vehicles are comprised of approximately 50 percent plastics by volume but only 10 percent plastics by weight. Automakers are increasingly “lightweighting” their vehicles by using innovative plastics and plastic composites such as CFRP, helping them meet fuel-efficiency goals while also enhancing performance and safety.

A couple of very high-performance examples displayed at the LA Auto Show: the front splitter and rear diffuser in the stylish Aston Martin Vanquish S. These lightweight, aerodynamic components help improve fuel efficiency, leading to more miles with less fuel while generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

So … advanced plastics = improved fuel efficiency and performance. It’s a win-win-win-win-win. As Ford Motor Company said: “Few innovations provide a more wide-ranging performance and efficiency advantage than reducing weight. All factors of a vehicle’s capabilities—acceleration, handling, braking, safety, efficiency—can improve through the use of advanced, lighter materials.”

The Road Ahead
Not so long ago, technologies such as 3-D printing, self-driving vehicles, and super-lightweight, aerodynamic car parts might have seemed a bit like science fiction. But thanks to advanced plastics, your custom 3-D printed car—or maybe your first ride in a fully autonomous public transit vehicle—may be closer than you think.

For more than half a century, plastics have enabled automakers to dream up amazing new technologies and bring them to life. We can only imagine what automotive innovations the next half century will usher in, but one thing’s for sure: plastics will continue to make many of them possible.

Reference to any automobile manufacturer or display of any associated product is for descriptive purposes only, and does not imply sponsorship, endorsement or association with ACC or its PMIP campaign.

Advanced Plastics are the Future of Our Autos

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CASE STUDY: Integrated LED signal lights from Hella on the Porsche Macan

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CASE STUDY: Integrated LED signal lights from Hella on the Porsche Macan</h1>
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<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Application:  Light strips for guiding LED (Porsche Macan)</li>
<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Company: Hella</li>
<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Tooling: Hofmann Innovation</li>
<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Material: PMMA</li>
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<span style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.plastics.gl/category/automotive/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Automotive</span></a></span></span> lighting is an interplay of function and design. It should be functionally outstanding and contribute to the unique look of a vehicle. For the new Porsche Macan, the company <span style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.hella.com/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Hella</span></a></span></span> developed a completely new rear lighting system with light strips for guiding LED light. The functional principle of these patented “Edgelights” for a strip-form signal light provides a new level of quality in light for the safety-related brake light function. Using this approach, the signal light can be integrated flexibly and in a space-saving manner into the outer skin of the vehicle body. An observer sees signal lights which have been smoothly integrated into the rear of the vehicle, and which give the Porsche Macan its distinctive appearance.</div>
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Completely distortion-free thick-walled PMMA body in 2K technology</h2>
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The heart of the brake light is a thick-walled part made of PMMA, which is the so-called light module or light strip. This part, which has a highly complex prism geometry and reflective qualities for light guidance, was developed in partnership with <span style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.hofmann-innovation.com/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Hofmann Innovation</span></a></span></span> in tool making and model making. The light module also required the production team at Hella to fulfil high standards in production quality. A thick-walled PMMA body in 2K technology which is absolutely distortion-free was needed here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px;">“Edgelight” light module from Hella, made of PMMA, with high-quality thickness and external geometry with prism technology (Source: Hofmann Innovation Group)</span><br />
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New compact rear lighting look with “Edgelight” light design</h2>
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“Edgelights” are highly complex light strips for rear lighting systems. In combination with other individual parts, “Edgelights” are part of the safety-relevant functioning of the brake lights in the rear lighting system of a vehicle. The design for the Porsche Macan chosen by Hella consists of three component groups. In addition to the “Edgelight” light modules, the rear light component groups consist of other components usually found in rear lights. This includes lenses made of PMMA in four colours (red transparent, grey transparent, black opaque and light red transparent), which are injection moulded using 3-step technology. The heavily tiered external contour of the upper light lens is unusual.</div>
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Cooperation from component development to series production</h2>
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Demanding parts require cooperation over the entire life cycle. One-stop shopping is considered to be a strategic method in this. The toolmaker’s input is generally required as early as the initial development stages, and contributes to the design of series tools and production processes. “The light module is subject to high expectations in terms of design, surface look and function,” explains Friedrich Vosswinkel, Project Manager at Hofmann. At the same time, the customer expects a design which is optimised for plastics and which ensures process stability during production, and is completely distortion-free.” In this regard, Hofmann offers trial and pilot production in its state of the art technical centre in Lichtenfels.</div>
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PMMA manufacturing at Hella</h2>
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Hella manufactures the series-production “Edgelights” from transparent PMMA on turning tools, as multi-component parts, using a 2-step process. Each tool produces a left-hand and a right-hand component in each cycle. They are pre-injected and finish-injected using 2K technology. Here the challenge for production is in the correct geometrical forming and absolute cleanliness of the “Edgelights”. These requirements are essential to allow the light beams to shine with the desired intensity. After cooling down, the light modules are delivered as individual parts to the rear light production facility.</div>
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Demouldability and no distortion as challenges</h2>
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In order to achieve the required light values, the thick-walled PMMA part, which is made of Altuglas HT 121 or Plexiglass 8N, requires the highest standards in the 2K process for the seams. A further decisive factor is the highly complex “prism geometry” for the entry and exit of the LED light. As part of tool development, it was the task of the tool making company Siegfried Hofmann to develop a 3D contour which would allow maximum light output at the point of emission and at the same time be manageable from a production technology point of view. This applied not only to the manufacture of the series-production tools, but also to the demoulding characteristics of the light module in the tool, as well as the manageability of the process in terms of strict absence of distortion.</div>
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Further in-depth information:</h2>
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<strong style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">1. Functional principle of the “Edgelight”</strong><br />
<strong style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">2. Ways and methods of model making</strong></div>
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1. Functional principle of the innovative “Edgelight” light strip for LED brake lights</h3>
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The basic principle of Hella’s patented light strips for a strip-form signal light (vehicle with a strip-form signal light) / DE 102011117733 A1 / <span style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.google.com/patents/DE102011117733A1?cl=de" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">http://www.google.com/patents/DE102011117733A1?cl=de</span></a></span></span>) is the entry of light from a LED diode strip in a PMMA body (“Edgelight”) with deflection and exact light bundling at the exit.</div>
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The light is fed into the massive “Edgelight” (light module or light strip) from LEDs mounted on a circuit board using collimator optics. Using deflection optics within the “Edgelights”, the LED light rays are reflected into the preferred direction and then finally, using output coupling optics, emitted in the required beam direction.</div>
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The pre-conditions for such thick-walled optics made of PMMA (Altuglas HT 121 or Plexiglas 8N) are high precision optical surfaces with a very good surface quality with the lowest possible distortion in the part. The geometry of the PMMA light strip is designed in such a way that the light entering and exiting at both ends is as focussed as possible. The illumination effect of the rear lights is homogenous and bright.</div>
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2. Ways and methods of model making</h3>
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There are two types of model making in product development: rapid prototyping and industrial prototyping. Rapid prototyping means: for the rear lights of the Porsche Macan, Hella needed prototypes from Robert Hofmann in order to test them and for consultation and approval from their customer Porsche. This highly dynamic consultation process required constant adaptation to design wishes and modified functional requirements. These prototype parts, which are equivalent to series-production parts, are developed using model making methods. Initially they are built as individual components, and later as rear lights built into pre-production cars.</div>
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The methods included pouring of the “Edgelight” light modules with PMMA, and CNC milling of the light entry and exit geometries in order to achieve continuous improvement of the light parameters. EMU samples were made for the complete rear light module component group, using STL technology (stereo lithography), laser sintering for plastics, aluminium processing and vaporising of the reflectors. In addition, vibration welding was used and testing materials supplied for the subsequent small batch.</div>
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With regards to small batch production, after the development and modelling phase, “Industrial Prototyping” comes into play. Porsche needs demonstration vehicles from pilot production runs for presentation at trade fairs or for dealer presentations. These vehicles correspond to production vehicles in terms of function, but some model parts are used in them. In total, Hofmann delivered 300 sets of rear lights (right and left) before start of production.</div>
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<em style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Main Picture: Caption 6: Component groups from Hofmann Innovation for the distinctive rear lighting system of the Porsche Macan</em></div>
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CASE STUDY: Integrated LED signal lights from Hella on the Porsche Macan

CASE STUDY: Integrated LED signal lights from Hella on the Porsche Macan Application: Light strips for guiding LED (Porsche Macan) ...

Masterbatches for laser marking of automotive parts

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUyHeGjTo93LDy1yI-ZZYh00-JtaJKL9YNOSmDHGPhdG8hPMD1OopHq0WE36d_fxSgy32LE_mk1mDGANyQLuELfK3VEiHNnpFjNqZi_pJZ3NXDruiXFNmIY_NMrpUhuLRG_5-4fSEWk4b/s1600/grafe_laser_marki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUyHeGjTo93LDy1yI-ZZYh00-JtaJKL9YNOSmDHGPhdG8hPMD1OopHq0WE36d_fxSgy32LE_mk1mDGANyQLuELfK3VEiHNnpFjNqZi_pJZ3NXDruiXFNmIY_NMrpUhuLRG_5-4fSEWk4b/s1600/grafe_laser_marki.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Masterbatches for laser marking of automotive parts</h1>
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<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">High flexibility for changing layouts</li>
<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Resistant to abrasion</li>
<li style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Applications: automotive parts, type plates, cables, among others</li>
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Whether it be for barcodes, type plates, writing on cables, or parts for the <span style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.plastics.gl/category/automotive/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">automotive</span></a></span></span> industry, the laser marking of plastics has grown in importance over the past years. Due to its high flexibility for changing layouts and other features such as a permanent and clear inscription, it is quickly replacing the conventional printing of plastic parts. The technology is suitable for application in all areas where components are marked without using chemicals and are resistant to abrasion. The company <span style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.grafe.com/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Grafe</span></a></span></span> provides masterbatches for plastics which can be written on with lasers and will present the latest developments at this year’s <a class="hashtag hashcore_hashtag_link" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">#Fakuma</a>. In pretests using their own in-house laser marker, the company is able to determine the ideal settings for writing on the plastic.</div>
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Laser marking can be implemented in three types of marking colors: light, dark and colored marking. The end-result is determined by the process, the polymer and the admixtures that are used, such as pigments and other additives. These additives are necessary in the laser marking process to guarantee the required standards of contrast, definition and marking speed. Depending on the desired application, the company develops a suitable formula for the masterbatches. These are then tested in-house for their suitability for writing on using laser markers from the company Foba. This means that the customers receive a fully tested plastic product along with all the parameters necessary for marking the part later.</div>
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