GMT AND GMTexTM FROM QUADRANT PLASTIC COMPOSITES FORGE NEW AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS, INCREASING MARKET POTENTIAL

LENZBURG, SWITZERLAND – K 2004 – Glass mat thermoplastics (GMT) are used in the automotive industry for manufacturing semi-structural and structural components which have to satisfy the highest crash safety standards for the protection of passengers and pedestrians. GMT’s high impact resistance, good fatigue and low creep characteristics have forged new applications where manufacturers need to meet cost targets and add function integration to their products. As the world’s leading GMT manufacturer, Quadrant Plastic Composites cooperates closely with the automotive industry and system suppliers in developing new component concepts for future generations of vehicles.

Recent benchmark crash tests carried out in cooperation with Rangerplast Italia using a door module carrier developed for the Lancia Y serve as an example of GMT materials’ new promise. Developed with Rangerplast and Lames, the module carrier was developed using a random GMT with 40% glass content and features an integrated hip protection that protects the driver or passenger from the effects of a side impact. The combination of stiffness and toughness that GMT exhibits enabled a module design that needs no additional parts for hip protection. The materials used were LFT, DLFT, GMT 30 and 40%, and GMTexTM with a glass fabric as middle layer between two random mats.

Most door module carriers are made from steel. However, if the door carrier integrates additional functions, then GMT may be a more cost-effective solution because it negates the need for additional parts, reducing total system costs.

GMT had a similar cost/performance impact on a structural instrument panel carrier with an integrated cross-car-beam developed by the system supplier Faurecia and built into the Ford C1-platform, including Mazda 3, Ford C-Max and Volvo S40 / V50. A combination of steel tube with 40% random GMT eliminated a number of steel parts used in conventional cross-car-beam designs to attach airbags, glove boxes, knee bolsters and other features.

The list of solutions that GMT has delivered goes on:

- Rangerplast specified GMT for a battery compartment in the Porsche Cayenne and the Volkswagen Touareg. The material was selected for its ability to withstand high loads as the heavy battery can be dropped by accident from the top of the part into the compartment.

- Polynorm UK used GMT material for a front seat base and seat back developed for the Bentley GT. Besides GMT’s good crash performance, Polynorm was attracted by the material’s savings in cost and weight compared to steel and aluminum parts.

Quadrant Plastic Composites has also developed GMTexTM high-performance thermoplastic composites that combine random mats with endless fibre products. With an E-Modulus up to 40 Gpa – and rising – GMTexTM products do not require complex moulding processes with long cycle times, as many high-performance composites do. The theoretical combinations of random and various endless fibre products are nearly endless, and allow designers to tailor products for a specific application:

- GMTexTM delivered critical crash performance for a spare wheel well component developed for the Mercedes E-Class estate car as well as for various other models of DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen/Audi. The part is required to withstand a rear offset crash at 65 km/h that causes it to be deformed to half its length without splintering or losing the spare tire.

- GMTexTM also provided a more feasible design than stamped metal for a hatchback door developed by Nissan for the current Stagea, Murano and Infiniti FX 35 and 45. Using a hybrid design with two GMTexTM blanks below the window and steel reinforcement around the window, Nissan engineers delivered a narrow profile with good visibility to the rear and improved roll-over performance. The blanks also ensured the part’s integrity in the event of a rear offset crash.

GMT and GMTexTM materials consist of special long and endless glass fibres impregnated with polypropylene. Quadrant Plastic Composites’ unique technology produces materials char

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+41 62 885 81 50
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www.quadrantcomposites.com

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Notes for editors

Quadrant Plastic Composites is the world’s leading manufacturer of glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) composites. The semi-finished sheet form is processed into sophisticated components, primarily for the automotive industry, using large-volume pressing processes; these components satisfy the highest safety standards, as well as featuring low weight compared to materials such as metal.

The Quadrant Group is a global leader in high-performance polymer material solutions in the form of semi-finished and finished products. These specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance over metals and other materials, and are used in a growing number of applications developed with leaders in a wide range of industries.

Learn more about Quadrant at www.quadrantcomposites.com and www.quadrantplastics.com.