PLASTIC ENGINEERED PRODUCT DESIGN IN AUTOMOTIVES
CHAPTER 1.
1.INTRODUCTION OF PLASTICS IN AUTOMOBILE
Although the rate of usage of plastics in motor cars and commercial vehicles is increasing year by year, the actual percentage of plastics found in an average car is between 15-20%. However it is realized by both automobile and the plastic industry that this is just the beginning and the amount of plastics used in vehicles will treble in the next five years, at the expense of steel and its alloys.
In essence the reason for the spectacular growth lies in the interaction of 3 factors:
• A growing understanding of the characteristics & capabilities of plastics materials. • An improving capability of plastics due to the appearance of new materials, improved qualities with existing types & better processing equipment. • A steady reduction in the cost of basic plastics raw materials relative to the cost of such traditional materials as metals, ceramics, leather & paper. Plastics are now universally recognised by automobile manufacturers not only as a key to achieving an improved fuel/performance ratio by replacing metal for interior body components but also as a solution to many of their manufacturing, design, styling, and cost problems. The diversity of properties offered by plastics materials in general &, in particular, by the more recently developed composite materials makes them more useful & attractive to engineers.
Also we can see the growth of plastic parts in Automobile in recent decades by following graph.
Figure-A
1
In year 2000 in Europe more than 1.8 million tons of plastics were used in the Automotives in about one thousand different parts. The following piagraph shows the result.
Figure-B
1.1 Replacing Metal with Plastics:There are numerous reasons why replacing metal parts with plastic makes sense. Here's why plastic may be the best option for your parts.
a) DECREASE PIECE PART PRICES
A penny saved is a penny earned. After initial tooling costs are paid, the
1.INTRODUCTION OF PLASTICS IN AUTOMOBILE
Although the rate of usage of plastics in motor cars and commercial vehicles is increasing year by year, the actual percentage of plastics found in an average car is between 15-20%. However it is realized by both automobile and the plastic industry that this is just the beginning and the amount of plastics used in vehicles will treble in the next five years, at the expense of steel and its alloys.
In essence the reason for the spectacular growth lies in the interaction of 3 factors:
• A growing understanding of the characteristics & capabilities of plastics materials. • An improving capability of plastics due to the appearance of new materials, improved qualities with existing types & better processing equipment. • A steady reduction in the cost of basic plastics raw materials relative to the cost of such traditional materials as metals, ceramics, leather & paper. Plastics are now universally recognised by automobile manufacturers not only as a key to achieving an improved fuel/performance ratio by replacing metal for interior body components but also as a solution to many of their manufacturing, design, styling, and cost problems. The diversity of properties offered by plastics materials in general &, in particular, by the more recently developed composite materials makes them more useful & attractive to engineers.
Also we can see the growth of plastic parts in Automobile in recent decades by following graph.
Figure-A
1
In year 2000 in Europe more than 1.8 million tons of plastics were used in the Automotives in about one thousand different parts. The following piagraph shows the result.
Figure-B
1.1 Replacing Metal with Plastics:There are numerous reasons why replacing metal parts with plastic makes sense. Here's why plastic may be the best option for your parts.
a) DECREASE PIECE PART PRICES
A penny saved is a penny earned. After initial tooling costs are paid, the