Technical Paper
Proposed Improvements in Automotive Modularity: An Assessment of the Competitive Position of a Novel Reinforced Plastics Molding Technology
2000-10-03
2000-01-2734
Mass and cost savings remain strong drivers underlying material and process selection. Plastics have long been the materials of choice in many automotive applications based on the mass, cost, and other attributes that they offer relative to their metal counterparts. As structural demands increase, however, there comes a point at which plastics are no longer viable unless they are reinforced. Composites Products Incorporated has developed a proprietary in-line compounding thermoplastic compression molding process for forming glass reinforced thermoplastic parts. This process has been used to fabricate applications as diverse as skid plates, seat bases, and front-end module housings. As an example, Volvo is a licensee of the technology and molds the front ends of its S-70 and S-80 models using in-line compounding. The advantages of CPI's technology over competing processes are many.
