Auto Trim
Trim is an important operative and aesthetic component of car exteriors. Auto trim comprises everything from mirror housings to door handles, side trim, wheel covers and radiator grilles. Today, auto trim parts depend largely on plastic to add functionality and decoration to a vehicle's exterior. A variety of plastics are used in manufacturing exterior trim. Nylons, polystyrene, polycarbonates, weatherable ASA-AES, PVC, polypropylene, polyesters, and urethanes are the most commonly used plastics in these applications.
A number of important innovations have allowed manufacturers to save both time and money when building exterior car trim parts. Mirror housings can now be in-mold painted, thanks to weatherable ASA-AES plastics systems, which allow car manufacturers to save on painting costs and eliminate the need for timing the cure of mirror housings with their painting on the production line. Another exciting innovation is in plastic wheel covers. By using plastic instead of metal to manufacture wheel covers, and then plating the plastic with a metallic finish, manufacturers spend a fraction of the cost while making the plastic look like a metal alloy. Engineers and consumers also enjoy the added benefits of weight reduction that go hand-in-hand with a switch to plastics. Plastic has also led to innovations in pickup trucks as well. In addition to the familiar truck bed liners, the entire pickup truck bed can be blow-molded from high-density polyethylene.
Recent innovations and buying trends demonstrate a bright future for plastic in exterior automobile applications because it is an excellent, cost-saving alternative to traditional materials. Plastic's ability to reduce weight and improve efficiency provides environmental benefits while maintaining safety. With high-mileage performance becoming an increasingly important issue to consumers and car manufacturers, plastics have the added advantage of making strong future environmental achievements possible.
Images provided by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers International (SPE), a not-for-profit engineering society.
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