Smart Molding International 1-2022

50 materials smart_molding international 1/2022 S ABIC, a global leader in the chemi - cal industry, today shared that it has collaborated with Dongfeng Motors, one of the largest truck manu - facturers in China, on the development of a novel plastic composite hybrid so - lution to produce a strong lightweight truck-mounted toolbox. The application is made with a combination of SABIC’s STAMAX™ resin, a long glass fiber poly - propylene (PP), and continuous glass fiber composite laminate inserts via a single overmolding process. The fin - ished part is lighter by up to 30 percent compared to a similarly designed part in steel, and use of the solution allows Dongfeng to benefit from resulting pro - duction efficiencies. “This plastic composite solution is a great example of how SABIC helps au - tomotive customers expand design op - tions and simplify production so they can achieve their goals,” said Abdul - lah Al-Otaibi, general manager, ETP & Market Solutions, SABIC. “By combin - ing two different materials, our solu - tion improves both performance and processability. Now that this compos - ite technology is validated and in mass production with Dongfeng, we see many other automotive applications that could benefit, and we are excited to help manufacturers seize those op - portunities.” In addition to truck toolboxes, au - tomotive applications for this hybrid solution with STAMAX resin can poten - tially include tailgates, seating, front- end modules and battery housings for electric vehicles. Use of this plastic composite solution can enable manufacturers to not only reduce weight, but also lower carbon emissions, control costs through pro - duction efficiencies, and achieve higher performance. Design and Performance Optimization SABIC’s hybrid solution combines STAMAX resin with thermoformed com - posite inserts made of unidirectional (UD) glass fiber-reinforced PP tape from China-based Qiyi Tech, a company dedi - cated to the development and produc - tion of continuous fiber reinforced ther - moplastic composite materials. The laminate inserts are pre-heated before being placed in the tool and overmolded with STAMAX resin in a single operation. The inserts add stiff - ness and strength to critical areas of the part, enabling the use of thin-wall geometries that can reduce weight. Compared to steel, the conventional material for truck toolbox applications, SABIC’s plastic composite hybrid solu - tion expands design options, enables the consolidation of parts, and avoids secondary operations that can add costs and prevent high-volume production. The plastic composite solution re - duces the weight of the toolbox by approximately 30 percent (6 to 4 kg) without sacrificing the stiffness, tough - ness, or strength required for this util - ity application. STAMAX resins feature 10-25 per - cent lower density than some com - petitive materials for weight-out. Their properties include high stiffness and impact strength, excellent structural performance, and easy flow for thin walls. SABIC www.sabic.com SABIC collaborates with China’s Dongfeng to produce lightweight truck-mounted toolbox with novel plastic composite hybrid solution combining two different materials. It enables manufacturers not only to reduce weight, but also to lower carbon emissions, control costs through production efficiencies, and achieve higher performance. Solution to improve both performance and processability The plastic composite solution reduces the weight of the toolbox by approximately 30 percent (Photos source: SABIC) SABIC Innovation Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia