Brochures

Have you heard about any of these innovations in plastics that are helping make cars light, energy efficient and safe?

• A new manifold that increases horsepower 33%.
• A front grill that saves weight and 50 of former tooling costs.
• A single plastic part that reduces the need for 27 extra parts.

BROCHURES—Automotive Research on How Lightweight Plastics Enhance Safety

Vehicle front-end safety:

• Physics in the crumple zone demonstrate how less stiff materials, like plastic, can help prevent injury and save lives
• Using plastics in auto “glass” can lightweight a vehicle and help prevent passenger injuries
• Composite driveshafts can increase torque and can help prevent injuries
• Plastic composite structures in the front end of a vehicle can lightweight without compromising safety
• Plastic headlamp lenses reduce weight and reduce lens breakage, which can improve nighttime visibility and safety

Vehicle interior safety:

• Using plastic to consolidate parts in door modules can reduce weight and maintain or improve side impact safety
• Plastic hybrid materials found throughout the Porsche Carrera GT make it light in weight and structurally strong
• Plastic can be incorporated in energy absorbing steering columns to help reduce vehicle weight and enhance driver safety
• Lightweight plastic foams can add strength to automotive body cavities and increase occupant safety in vehicles

Vehicle exterior safety:

• Composite fuel tanks lightweight vehicles allowing alternative fuels to be carried onboard
• Plastic fuel tanks can decrease vehicle weight and incidence of corrosion
• Using lightweight plastic to lower the center of gravity can help increase stability and decrease rollover tendency
• Lightweight plastic fibers can have added strength but enough ‘give’ to enhance pedestrian safety
• New auto safety research evaluates impact of size and weight on accidents