Thermoplastic Solutions for Lightweight Structures
Dr.-Ing. Martin Wanders
Head of Global Application Development
Business Unit High Performance Materials
Stainz, May 24th 2013
2
Introduction
Plastic / Metal Hybrid Technology – principle and history
Innovative developments
High modulus grades
Adhesive bond technology
Composite technology
Application fields
Agenda
3
Specialty chemicals company
Spin-off from Bayer in 2004
Focus on: Plastics, Rubber, Specialty chemicals, Intermediates
Global success story
17,200 employees in 31 countries
48 production sites worldwide
2012 sales of EUR 9.094 billion
Strategy of targeted innovation
Vital role in LANXESS´growth
Focus on process and products innovation
LANXESS – Global player in the specialty chemicals industry
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LANXESS – Based on three powerful segments
Advanced Intermediates
Saltigo
Advanced Industrial Intermediates
Sales 2012: 1.7 Billion €
Inorganic Pigments
Functional Chemicals
Material Protection Products
Leather
Rhein Chemie
Rubber Chemicals
Ion Exchange Resins
Performance Chemicals
Sales 2012: 2.2 Billion €
Performance Polymers
Performance Butadiene Rubbers
Butyl Rubber
High Performance Materials
Sales 2012: 5.2 Billion €
Keltan Elastomers
High Performance Elastomers
Customer Day Kiev – Dr. Martin Wanders – Technology and Innovation for the Plastics Industry 5
Facts
Part of: Performance Polymers Segment
Employees: ~ 1,500
Market position: Among global top 5
Applications
Products and Brands
Products: Intermediates – Caprolactam, Glass Fibers High-tech plastics – based on Polyamide (PA) Polybutylenterephtalate (PBT), Monofilaments
Brands: ~ 1,500
High Performance Materials – Leading supplier of high-tech plastics
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High Performance Materials – Strong setup to serve global demand
Global compounding
network guarantees
market and customer
proximity
Security of supply
guaranteed by
in-depth upstream
integration into key
intermediates
New downstream
integration due to
Bond Laminates
acquisition
A reliable partner –
worldwide
* under construction
Krefeld-Uerdingen, DE
Wuxi, CN
Antwerp, BE
Jhagadia, IN
Gastonia, US
Hamm-Uentrop, DE
Porto Feliz, BR*
Today 2005
SCP global compounding network Site for upstream integration
Brilon, DE
Site for downstream integration
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Global product and application development (GPAD) to drive innovation
Tailored development activities
and services
Globally positioned and
networked
Head count (2013): 130
Departments
- Product development
- R&D testing center
- Application development
- Customer engineering services
GPAD profile
Wuxi, CN
Hong Kong, CN
Dormagen, DE
São Paulo, BR
Pittsburgh, US
Mumbai, IN
Product and application development center
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Lightweight design – a key technology for sustainable mobility
Lightweight design compensates for the negative
consequences of new drive concepts (e.g. heavy
battery in electric cars) – without lightweight design
modern mobility is unthinkable
Lighter cars increase fuel efficiency, reduce CO2
emissions in road traffic, thereby contributing to
“Greener Mobility”
Increasing demands for comfort and safety cause the
weight to spiral upwards – lightweight design
ensures that cars remain economical
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Introduction
Plastic / Metal Hybrid Technology – principle and history
Innovative developments
High modulus grades
Adhesive bond technology
Composite technology
Application fields
Agenda
10
F1
→
Denting or buckling of
lightweight structures
due to the thin wall
F2 F1
→ → >>
F1
→
F2
→ F2
→
Strengthening the structure
with small forces carried
by plastic ribs
Sheet metal
Support
High-tech plastics keep metal “in shape”
Metal
Polymer
Mechanical fixing
+
Plastic / Metal Hybrid Technology (PMH) enables lightweight
construction
11
Weight reduction vs. 2nd generation: ?
Weight reduction vs. steel: ~30%
Weight reduction vs. 1st generation: ~15%
Steel sheet: 1.5mm thickness
Single steel sheet supported and
functionalized by overmolded
high-tech plastics
Glass fiber content in plastics: 30%*
Aluminum / steel sheet: 1.2 / 0.8mm
thickness
Several smaller sheets are mounted
with overmolded high-tech plastics
Glass fiber content in plastics: 30%*
System carrier: 1997 In-mold assembly: 2005
Frontend 1st generation Frontend 2nd generation Frontend 3rd generation
Our high-tech plastics developments contribute to weight
reduction in cars
? … … …
* Weight percentage
12
Agenda
Introduction
Plastic / Metal Hybrid Technology – principle and History
Innovative developments
High modulus grades
Adhesive bond technology
Composite technology
Application fields
13
Highly reinforced PA or PBT
compounds
High modulus (HM)
High strength
Low viscosity resins allow
incorporation of high fiber amounts
Ideal solution for lightweight applications
Product characteristics development
Flowability
Stiffness
Tensile
strength
0
150
%
200
100
50
250
BKV30
PA6 GF30
BKV30 EF
PA6 GF30
DP BKV60EF
PA6 GF60
Product development for lightweight solutions – Easy Flow
enables high modulus (HM) grades
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Weight reduction vs. 2nd generation: ~15%
Weight reduction vs. steel: ~30%
Weight reduction vs. 1st generation: ~15%
Steel sheet: 1.5mm thickness
Single steel sheet supported and
functionalized by overmolded
high-tech plastics
Glass fiber content in plastics: 30%*
Aluminum / steel sheet: 1.2 / 0.8mm
thickness
Several smaller sheets are mounted
with overmolded high-tech plastics
Glass fiber content in plastics: 30%*
Aluminum / steel sheet: 1.0 / 0.7mm
thickness
Sheets are overmolded with less but
extremely stiff high-tech plastics
Glass fiber content in plastics: 60%*
System carrier: 1997 In-mold assembly: 2005 High-modulus materials: since 2012 in serial production
Frontend 2nd generation Frontend 3rd generation
Our high-tech plastics developments contribute to weight
reduction in cars
* Weight percentage
Frontend 1st generation
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Automotive – Structural parts with high modulus grades
Durethan® DP BKV 60 H2.0 EF
(PA 6 + GF60)
• High modulus
• Easy flowing
Advantages
• Cost and weight reduction compared to
SMC* or metal design
• Enables high function integration
• Glued into the BIW** contributing to the
stability of the car
PMH with aluminum and GIT
Shot weight: 12 kg
Part weight: 9 kg Superior to pure metal designs
*Sheet Mold Compound **Body in White
Audi A8 - spare wheel well
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Carbon reinforcement offers additional opportunities
PA6-GF 60 EF
PA6-CF30
High modulus next generation – weight specific comparison of
glass fiber and carbon PA6
* Dry as molded, at 23°C
PA6-GF 60 EF
PA6-CF30
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Joint research project funded
by the German government
(Federal Ministry of Education
and Research)
New bonding technology targets higher
performance level to gain further weight reduction
Project objective: ~30% weight reduction
compared to standard hybrid components
Application areas: components that require
stiffness
Research project: Adhesive bond technology
Metal Polymer Mechanical fixing +
New adhesive bond technology
Polymer
Primer / glue
Metal
Current technology
Innovation – new bond technology for plastic / metal hybrid
components
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Frontend Audi A8
Composite sheet
Thermoplastic matrix materials reinforced with woven fabrics
Glass, carbon or aramid fibers (also hybrid)
Continuous fibers (fiber length = part length)
Advantages of hybrid composite parts
Low weight (density e.g., 1.8 kg/dm³)
High stiffness, strength and energy absorption
No corrosion, simple recycling
No investment for additional tools
Full-plastic composite parts as alternative to plastic-metal structures
Further development – hybrid technology with composite
sheets and plastic/plastic hybrid
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IR heater
Heating up above
melting point
Shaping during the closing of
injection molding tool
Subsequent injection molding of rib
pattern
Demolding
Integration of composite sheet into the hybrid composite
part through “in-mold forming”
20
Co-operation with ZF Friedrichshafen, a leading
automobile supplier for drive technology and
chassis
New brake pedal with ~50% weight reduction
compared to standard steel pedal
Additional benefits include:
Function integration
Reduction of process steps
No corrosion protection needed
Easy recycling
Development project: brake pedal Evolution of brake pedals
Mounted pedal block
Steel:
794g
Plastic metal hybrid:
526g
Composite sheet:
355g
Innovation – first brake pedal with composite sheet
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Series production airbag container
Prototype container with composite sheets
Weight: 550 g
Weight: 360 g
Partnership with Takata AG, Aschaffenburg –
a leading producer of occupant-safety-systems
Successful development of new passenger airbag
housings with composite sheets
First thermoplastic composite airbag housing to be
used for passenger cars
35 % weight reduction compared to series part
Joint development of a passenger airbag container based on
composite sheet technology
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Simulation is a must –
Airbag housing (1/2)
anisotropy
non-linearity
strain rate dependency
failure / Breakage
rotation of fiber directions / non-
orthogonal fiber directions
temperature dependency
…
Most relevant criteria
for simulation
Series-production
status
thin insert
thick insert
/U. Gaumann (Takata), J. Haspel (Lanxess), VDI Tagung Kunststoffe im Automobil, Mannheim, 2013/
23
Simulation is a must –
Airbag housing (2/2)
anisotropy
non-linearity
strain rate dependency
failure / Breakage
rotation of fiber directions / non-
orthogonal fiber directions
temperature dependency
…
Most relevant criteria
for simulation
Series-production
status
thin insert
thick insert
/U. Gaumann (Takata), J. Haspel (Lanxess), VDI Tagung Kunststoffe im Automobil, Mannheim, 2013/
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Agenda
Introduction
Plastic / Metal Hybrid Technology – principle and history
Innovative developments
High modulus grades
Adhesive bond technology
Composite technology
Application fields
25
Car area Components with LANXESS contribution
Drivetrain
Chassis
Interior
Cross car beam Frontend
Cylinder head cover
Bracket
Steering rod
Engine oil pan
Airbag housing
Roof frame Spare wheel well
Seat pan
Gas tank liner
Structural insert
Pedal / pedal bracket
Gearbox oil pan
High-tech plastics for lightweight applications
Car body
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LANXESS has built up extensive know-how in
lightweight solutions
Contributing to innovations with new technologies
and high-performance materials
Self-developed top-notch simulation tools
Ongoing improvement of ready for mass
production lightweight technologies
Prototype
Passenger airbag housing
Takata AG
Prototype
Brake pedal
ZF Friedrichshafen AG
LANXESS – partner for innovative lightweight solutions
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