Chinese car manufacturer Geely has selected specialty chemicals company Lanxess as supplier of choice for an innovative front end carrier (FE) structural component, which will be used in a coming passenger car model. The component’s design concept is a state-of-the-art hybrid design solution going beyond the traditional square/rectangular form FE structure.
While the lower cooler mounting is in sheet metal, the complex upper member was developed using the highly filled and heat stabilized Durethan BKV50H2.0 EF, a material well suited for structural components that require high stiffness and strength. The full plastic design for the upper section caters to a wide range of requirements of this multi component assembly.
The concept not only demonstrates Lanxess’ competence of hybrid solution application in automotive lightweight structures and the advantage of using high modulus thermoplastic material such as Durethan BKV50H2.0 EF, but also provides a cost effective solution to achieve multiple saving targets.
High modulus material
According to Lanxess, its engineering plastics are designed to support customers in achieving maximum component performance and efficient processing. To meet these objectives, the company established the Pocan and Durethan EF and XF product lines, a broad range of easy-flow polybutylene terephthalates (PBT) and polyamide 6 and 66 grades. ‘EF’ stands for ‘EasyFlow’, ‘XF’ for ‘XtremeFlow’.
In addition, Lanxess has developed high-modulus thermoplastics with glass fiber contents of 50% and more. These products display unusually high stiffness and strength and, despite their high filler content, can still be processed as easily and efficiently as comparable standard materials. “Smart materials offer attractive advantages for design and manufacturing provide designers with entirely new options,” said Wei Lin, Lanxess key account manager.