© 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driving forcesWeight reduction; design freedom; lower production runs; legislation.Amanda Jacob looks at some of the factors which are set to increase the useof composites in the automotive industryover the coming years.

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Cost reduction is still the biggest challenge facing automotive engineers,but designability and emissions regulation issues are rising in importance, according to a 2002 survey from DuPont Automotive andthe Society of Automotive Engineers(SAE). In this highly competi-tive market, car makersmust fight for business byoffering consumers bettercars, with more attractiveand functionaldesigns, more fea-tures, and higherperformance, whichare also safer, morefuel efficient and requireless maintenance, all at thelowest possible cost. Added tothis, automakers are also underincreasing pressure from legislation andregulations being introduced by environ-mentally-conscious governments keen toreduce pollution, increase recycling, andpromote greater safety for both car occu-pants and pedestrians. Acoustic regula-tions are also beginning to come into play.

These factors are some of the reasonsbehind the continuing growth in the use of composites in the automotive marketand industry watchers are anticipating composites growth in major applicationsin 2004 models and beyond.

Why composites?‘Lightweighting’ (or weight reduction) isone of the key objectives in most newtransportation development programmes,since reducing weight can result in benefits in terms of performance and environmental impact. With their highstrength to weight ratio, stiffness and energy absorption properties, compos-ites offer significant potential for weightsaving and this is one of the main drivers

for their increaseduse in automotive applica-

tions. Composites can reduceweight by as much as 35%

compared to steel in many applica-tions, claims the US-based Auto-motive Composites Alliance (ACA).

Reduced vehicle weight translates into better fuel economy, and therefore loweremissions, helping car companies to meetincreasingly stringent environmental regulations.

Composites also have benefits for cardesigners, in terms of part reduction andpart integration. Metal components whichconsist of several separate parts joinedtogether can often be moulded as just onepart in composite. This increased partsintegration and reduced part count canresult in significant savings in productioncosts and time.

Composites can also aid styling, contrib-uting to designs which would be difficult, or impossible, to produce economically in metal. And with their high corrosionresistance, composites do not rust likemetals, and they are resistant to dents and scratches.

Compositesare just one of the

new materials com-peting for automo-

tive business. GeneralMotors’ Cadillac Sixteen

concept incorporatesstate-of-the-art aluminium

automotive engineeringfrom Alcoa, including an open

engine compartment, a modu-lar upper body structure, central

structural tunnel with a one-piece castfront cowl and rear seat structure.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Cost reduction

Fuel economy

Emissions regulations

Safety regulations

Designability

Percentage of respondents

2002

2001

30

36

17

12

14

8

12

8

10

1

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Cost reduction remains top of the major design and engineering challenges facing automotive engineers, butdesignability and emissions concerns are increasing in importance. (Source: DuPont Automotive/SAE 2002 survey.)

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Consumer preferences are also drivingshorter production runs, which is goodnews for reinforced plastics. The currenttrend for a greater number of variationsof a particular car model, the fasterchangeover in models, and the increasingpopularity of niche vehicles all favourcomposites since for low production runs,composites can avoid the high toolingand setting costs of metal.

Shorter production runs favourcomposites.

Trends and challengesThe automotive (car and truck) industryis already a big market for composites,but it has the potential to grow much,much more. While plastics have essen-tially won the battle for the automotiveinterior market, there is still a long wayto go in the exteriors segment. Progressin the underhood sector is also promising,where the success of the composite airintake manifold is being translated toother components in the engine com-partment, such as valve covers.

Long fibre reinforced thermoplastics arealso experiencing high growth rates.Applications for these materials includefront-end modules and door panels.

Carbon fibres, traditionally reserved forracing vehicles and the high performancesports car market, are beginning to maketheir way into more mainstream applica-tions. Most industry analysts believe that

the use of carbon will certainly grow if itsprice comes down further.

The traditional arguments against composites of high production cost, lowcycle times and poor surface quality aregradually being overcome. Compositematerials and processing technologieshave advanced greatly since the intro-duction of the1953 composite-bodiedCorvette. And although the high perform-ance, low volume end of the car market(niche sports cars and racing cars)remains a strong business, compositesare now moving into more mainstream,high volume applications. The compositepick-up truck cargo boxes introduced byFord and General Motors a couple ofyears ago were heralded as a break-through for composites in high volumeapplications. Ford chose a sheet mouldingcompound (SMC) box, while GM optedfor reinforced reaction injection moulding(RRIM). Further applications of this typeare expected soon.

The cosmetic appearance of composites isalso improving. Another major concern ofcar makers which has held back the morewidespread use of composites is the ability to produce a ‘Class A’ automotive surface finish – the glossy, smooth finishcharacteristic of painted metal. The composites industry has been workinghard on this problem and new resins andprimer/sealers appear to offer the solutionto the paint defects that have plagued FRPpanels in the past.

Driving forces

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Transport

Construction

Electrical

Consumer

Aerospace

The automotive industry already provides good business for composites, but there’s potential for much more.(World composite market by market sector: Owens Corning, RP Asia 2002.)

The following are some of the components for which compositesare already being used:

Air intake manifolds

Bonnets (hoods)

Bumper beams

Cam covers

Cowls

Cross vehicle beams

Decklids

Door panels

Engine covers

Fascias

Fenders (wings)

Front-end modules

Grill opening reinforcements

Headlight housings

Heat shields

Liftgates

Oil pans

Pick-up boxes

Radiator supports

Rear panels

Skid plates

Spoilers

Step assists

Tailgates

Timing chain covers

Tonneau covers

Valve covers

Wheel housings

On the road

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Although reduction of pollution fromcars remains high on the agenda, another environment-related issue which has sofar not received the attention it deservesis recycling. In Europe, for instance, theEnd of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive,which requires the recycling of a higherproportion of waste cars, is coming, andNorth American legislation can also beexpected to take this route in the future.This means a higher proportion of theplastic materials used in cars will have torecycled. This is an issue facing the automotive industry – suppliers and car makers – and a workable solution willhave to be developed between them.

The competition

There is no shortage of competition inthe automotive materials market, especially in the exterior body panel sector. The steel industry is by no meansready to give up its long-establisheddominance, and is actively developingnew lightweight, high strength grades forapplication in bodywork, chassis andsupsension. Aluminium (which is approxi-mately half the weight of standard steel)is also being employed in space-frameconstruction and on body panels of specialized vehicles, although its biggestuse is still in diecastings for engine components. One recent application isthe Cadillac Sixteen concept unveiled by General Motors and aluminium company Alcoa in January. This luxury saloon (sedan) car is a demonstrator ofleading-edge aluminium automotivetechnologies. Magnesium is anotherlightweight metal trying to make inroadsinto the automotive market, so far withlimited success.

Where next?The automotive OEMs are increasingly putting the pressure on their tier-one suppliers and others in the supply chain toprovide new products that meet all theirrequirements. Composite materials andprocessing technologies have come a longway over the past 50 years and it is up tosuppliers and moulders to demonstratethese advances to the automotive indus-try and continue the growth in compos-ites we have seen over past years. ■

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