With the gradual popularization of energy conservation and emission reduction in automobiles, the lightweighting trend of replacing metal with plastic in automotive parts has become one of the most effective measures to reduce automotive emissions and improve combustion efficiency. In this aspect, injection moulding technology can also realize the integrated manufacturing of automotive parts, thereby improving the production efficiency in the automobile sector.
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As competition in the automotive market becomes increasingly fierce, companies are gradually accelerating product iterations to keep up with market demand for unique innovations. This places intense pressure on the design and R&D capabilities of manufacturers of precision structural parts, etc., prompting moulding technologies such as injection moulding to develop towards enhanced precision, high-speed, greater stability, and high-performance material applications.
Furthermore, the rapid development of new energy vehicles has accelerated the trend of lightweighting since endurance mileage is a core pain point for new energy vehicle users, and body weight is one of the critical factors affecting endurance mileage. Statistics show that global sales of new energy vehicles reached 10.0912 million in 2022, accounting for 14% of the overall market; in China, the number of new energy vehicles also exceeded 10 million in 2022, and it is expected to reach 19 million in 2023.
In the era of electrification, intelligent production and green manufacturing, new injection moulding technology plays a significant role in promoting the sustainable development of the automotive industry. A technologically leading precision injection moulding company and contract manufacturer with 79 years of history, Rosti provides services to numerous automotive manufacturers across the world and continuously develops new businesses in the new energy vehicle field with high-end precision equipment and excellent sustainable operating philosophy.
Rosti’s Innovations in Precision Injection Moulding and Additive Manufacturing
Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, Rosti is a technology-leading precision injection moulding company and contract manufacturer with 12 manufacturing plants and five innovative R&D centres in Europe, Asia and the Americas. With 26 years of injection moulding experience in the automotive field, its products are widely used in structural and decorative parts for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Volvo, BYD, etc. In recent years, with the development of new energy vehicles, Rosti’s injection moulded parts and components have expanded into areas related to charging piles and battery equipment.
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With innovative, recyclable and sustainable solutions, Rosti becomes the preferred partner of its customers. How can it serve clients with a 72-hour turnaround from concept design to mass manufacturing? In addition to highly automated equipment and a quality-focused team, the benefits of technological innovation cannot be ignored.
For example, traditional injection moulding takes longer cycle time and higher investment, but today’s automotive industry has overly much higher requirements for the development speed of new products. Some parts cannot be manufactured through injection moulding, so additive manufacturing has become another problem-solving idea. Based on digital model files, additive manufacturing uses adhesive materials such as powdered plastics to manufacture plastic parts. The objects are constructed by printing layer by layer without opening moulds. By reducing costs and accelerating the process of product development and time to market, it is increasingly favoured by automotive manufacturers.
Under these circumstances, it is crucial to find long-term cooperative suppliers who can quickly print samples, conduct verification, and speed up development. Rosti has successfully introduced the M3 printer from American 3D printing company Carbon and becomes the first injection moulding manufacturer in Asia to use Carbon’s latest cutting-edge M3 printer. End-use parts can be quickly printed and mass-produced, widely used in consumer, industrial, automotive, medical and other fields, thus helping partners win a broader market.
Moreover, today’s automobiles are becoming more like fashionable products. The aesthetics of appearance and interiors are increasingly valued and high requirements for the convenience of use are asserted by consumers. Rosti’s technologies, such as thermal sublimation technology, RHCM technology, IMD (in-mould film technology), IME (in-mould electronic technology) and so on, can fully meet the needs of end customers.
The pursuit of sustainability
Currently, under the thrust to achieve global sustainable development and the guidance of China’s double carbon goal, sustainable development is becoming a required course for enterprises, and carbon footprint is becoming an invisible green trade barrier for multinational enterprises. Rosti has 12 production bases around the world, pursuing a common mission of protecting the environment, aiming to ensure no plastic particles remain in the production process.
By closely monitoring and controlling inputs and outputs in all aspects of the company’s operation, Rosti works to eliminate waste and takes action to reduce environmental impact; applying lean tools and techniques to enable an understanding of the performance of current operations. Continuous improvement activities are carried out to expand sustainable business with long-term development vision; moreover, the scrap reuse rate of Rosti Group is about 75%.
At present, Rosti has achieved good results in green resin utilization, as well as sustainable design, recycling, and operations, etc. In 2022, the use of six varieties of green resins in Rosti accounted for 10% of the total utilization, and the air purification product customers of the Suzhou plant use 500 tons of PCR plastic particles every year. A good result has been achieved in product lightweighting, design simplification and recyclability. Recyclable solutions for customers have been found, such as the refurbishment and reuse of decoder casings. In 2022, the group recycled 75% of the waste. Each production base saves more than 200,000 euros in energy every year, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 10%, and 57% of the energy in the production base comes from renewable energy, of which Poland, Sweden, and Romania have achieved 100% renewable energy use.
It is worth mentioning that the RHCM technology successfully developed by Rosti enables parts to achieve high gloss on the product surface without a secondary surface treatment, thereby reducing assembly, improving scratch and wear resistance, and helping customers avoid spraying while meeting the requirements of aesthetic, design and process improvements of their products. Compared with traditional coated injection moulded parts, using RHCM technology, CO2 emissions can be reduced by more than 40%; when combined with recycled resin, the CO2 reduction can reach more than 80%.
All these reflect how Rosti is committed to meeting the system requirements of customers in different industries and the relevant legal and regulatory requirements for environmental protection. By applying appropriate standards for systematic management and ensuring business continuity by maintaining system certification, Rosti provides guaranteed excellent services to customers in different industries in pursuit of sustainable production.
