Cars are an indispensable part of modern life, offering significant convenience for people's travel. The automotive industry has developed over time, with its supply chain becoming increasingly mature. Additionally, a series of related industries that have emerged from the automotive sector have also experienced substantial growth. In recent years, the field of car interiors and exteriors has been particularly vibrant, with the application of new materials and technologies injecting new vitality into this industry segment.
Car Dashboard
If the interior of a car is designed to provide a comfortable driving experience, then the exterior of the car is meant to enhance the vehicle's aesthetics while ensuring safety during travel. Due to the specific functions of automobiles, car exterior parts must adhere to the "three standardization" design principles, which are standardization, serialization, and universalization. At the same time, they must also meet the "six performance requirements," which include rationality, reliability, cost-effectiveness, advancement, ease of maintenance, and manufacturability.
During the design process, it is essential to thoroughly implement local regulatory standards based on the countries or regions where the vehicle model will be marketed. This primarily includes the specifications for the spacing between the holes for the front and rear bumper license plates, whether there is a need to reserve holes for fog light installation, requirements for lighting fixtures, regulations for external protrusions, and the dimensions of openings, among other related requirements. Additionally, the approval from relevant departments is necessary to ensure that the front area of the radiator grille meets the cooling demands of the engine and air conditioning system.
Additionally, for several parts of the car exterior, the requirements for materials vary. For components such as rearview mirrors, grilles, and fog light covers, there is a need for good heat resistance, scratch resistance, lightfastness, and chemical corrosion resistance. Parts like roof racks, car parking areas, and welded decorative strips that are exposed to direct sunlight year-round require good heat resistance, low-temperature resistance, lightfastness, and chemical corrosion resistance. Meanwhile, parts near the chassis such as wheel hubs and bumpers need to have good rigidity, scratch resistance, low-temperature impact resistance, and resistance to gravel impact.
Currently, the plastics used in automobiles typically include PP (Polypropylene), PE (Polyethylene), ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), PMMA (Acrylic), PA (Nylon), PC (Polycarbonate), and others. However, with the strengthening of environmental awareness and the exploration of new materials by researchers, the emergence and use of new types of plastics are gradually expanding into the field of automotive exteriors. For example, cellulose extracted from plants such as straw, flax, sugar beet, and cottonseed hulls can be made into bio-based plastics for use in the automotive industry.
Although the issue of strength in biobased plastics remains a limiting factor for their widespread use in some specialized components, there have been successful cases in the field of automotive exterior trim. In the "biobased" lightweight electric vehicle previously constructed in the Netherlands, this type of material was used. It not only provided the related components with a strength-to-weight ratio close to that of glass fiber, but also significantly reduced the weight of the vehicle body.
Plastic materials exhibit ideal processing and usage properties, and compared to traditional metal materials used in automobile manufacturing, they offer lower costs and lighter weight, aligning with the trend towards lighter vehicles. As a result, an increasing number of plastic automotive components are replacing metal ones. Common exterior car parts include front and rear bumpers, rearview mirrors, luggage racks, grilles, wheel hubs, car lights and their components, door handle assemblies, radiator decorative covers, crash beams, side moldings, windshield wipers, and more.
Here are some common applications of plastics in automotive exteriors:
1. Bumpers: This includes both front and rear bumpers. Bumpers are designed to absorb energy during vehicle collisions, reducing damage to the body of the car and injuries to passengers. They need to possess good impact resistance, weather resistance, and paint adhesion properties. Composite materials such as polyester systems, polypropylene systems, and TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) are commonly used in plastic bumpers.
2. Rearview Mirrors: Due to their prolonged exposure to sunlight, rain, and the effects of climate, as well as the impact of driving on bumpy roads, the materials used in rearview mirrors need to have a certain level of weather resistance. Considering the requirements for temperature, humidity, strength, impact, and bending performance, the materials should also be resistant to aging, corrosion, and have good injection molding and paint adhesion properties. Commonly used materials for this purpose include heat-resistant ABS, PC, ASA, PBT+GF, and so on.
3. Luggage Rack: Ensure that the luggage rack remains undamaged under various complex stress conditions. The materials used must have sufficient fatigue strength to guarantee that the luggage rack does not suffer severe fatigue damage when the car is moving at high speeds or during emergency braking. Common materials that can be used include PC/PBT, PC/ASA, PC/ABS, ASA, etc.
4. Vehicle Lights: These can be categorized into headlights, taillights, turn signals, and license plate lights, among others. They play a critical role in the safe operation of vehicles. The combination headlights are located at the front of the vehicle and primarily serve for illumination and signaling purposes. The materials used to manufacture vehicle lights need to possess good impact resistance, light transmittance, weather resistance, and ease of processing. The lamp covers are generally made from PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) materials, while the lamp bases are typically made from ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).
car headlights
The integration of plastics in automotive exterior design signifies a notable advancement in vehicle design and manufacturing. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, the use of plastics has achieved a harmonious balance between aesthetic appeal, functional efficiency, and environmental sustainability. The versatility and adaptability of plastic materials have also been able to meet the diverse demands of automotive exteriors, casting a shadow of plastic presence from durability and lightweight design to cost-effectiveness and environmental reduction. With ongoing research and development in bio-based and advanced plastic materials, the future of automotive exterior design is set to welcome further innovation. This not only marks a paradigm shift in material usage for vehicles but also reflects the automotive industry's commitment to embracing sustainable practices and pioneering technologies, aiming for a greener, more efficient future.