JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #45 - November/December 2008 - (Page 45) Structural materials GMT technology with these low-density materials (Fig. 2). The SymaLITE grades also exhibit excellent acoustic performance. Both material groups have been used in different mass-produced car models for many years. If all of these applications were combined in one car, the weight-saving potential would be over 50 kg, just for the structural materials. These applications include bumper carriers, pedestrian beams, engine cradles, front-end carriers, instrument panel carriers, seating, hatchback structures, underbodies and more. The maximum weight saving is achieved by replacing metals with composites (Fig. 3). Fig 4: Interior applications in QPC materials. Fig 3: Exterior & structural applications in QPC materials. As far as interiors are concerned, the weight-saving potential of LWRT is not as high as with structural grades. However, roughly 8 kg can be saved by using these materials in applications like instrument panel toppers, tunnel covers, door panel inserts, headliners, parcel shelves, load floors, seat back covers, trunk liners and more (Fig. 4). Combining LWRT with structural grades would enable a weightsaving potential of more than 60 kg. It is important to understand that all materials and the corresponding applications are specified at different OEMs and fulfil all requirements. For this reason, radical innovations are not necessary, because lightweight designs can be achieved with existing systems and without excessively long pre-development phases and development times. More information: www.quadrantplastics.com No45 November-December 2008 / jec composites magazine http://www.quadrantplastics.com http://calitzler.com/ http://www.dieffenbacher.com/ http://calitzler.com/ http://www.dieffenbacher.com/
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