Transportation sector as growth catalyst

The transportation industry is at the forefront in terms of technological advancements, and plastics have a major role in this area. Historically, plastics made their debut in automotive industry way back in 1950s, but it is the last decade which has seen remarkable increase in the application of plastics in the industry. The automotive industry makes use of plastics and composites to manufacture a wide range of components, broadly classified in three application segments: Interiors, Exteriors and Under-the-Hood (UTH) applications.

Some of the key automotive components produced from plastics and composites include bumpers, fascia, seating, dashboards, body panel, consoles, HVAC units, exterior and interior door handles, batteries, battery covers, air ducts etc. Safety functionalities like shock absorption in bumpers, materials to reduce explosion risks in UTH applications and life-saving accessories like airbags and seat-belts are accelerating the demand for automotive plastics. For aerospace, the challenges include weight reduction, impact and chemical resistance, reducing cabin noise and meeting regulatory requirements related to flame retardance, smoke, toxicity, and heat release. Rail’s challenges also include weight reduction and increased fire safety, increasing durability and anti-vandalism protection. These sectors are also focused on increasing passenger comfort, and creating a differentiated traveling experience

High performance, compliant engineering thermoplastics can play a role in nearly every aspect of an aircraft or rail car interior, common applications in rail include: interior claddings, sidewall panels, partitions, overhead luggage racks, tables, seat backs, tray tables and arm rests, light diffusers and light covers, sun blinds and air ducting.

A few key advantages of plastics over metals in automotive applications are reduction in weight which leads to better fuel efficiency, moulded-in colours which eliminates the need for finishing and painting of automotive parts, good insulation properties, ease of manufacture in which case injection moulding and other plastic processing techniques allow for simplification of manufacturing and greater design flexibility.

Material diversity

According to Frost & Sullivan, some of the major plastic products used in the automotive industry are polypropylene (PP) and polyurethane (PU). PP and PP compounds dominate interior automotive applications such as dashboard panels, center consoles, door panels and other interior trims. PU is most commonly used for seating and other cushioning applications that require flexibility and firmness, and at the same time, ensuring weight reduction. The PU used in automotive applications is predominantly reaction injection moulded. The process offers immense shock absorption characteristics that facilitate the use of PU in car fenders, bumpers and spoilers. In addition to fuel efficiency, light weight and emission reduction, PU is known to enhance passenger comfort by facilitating acoustic management through noise, vibration reduction and insulation properties.

Other popular materials are polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). The different grades of PA offer a wide range of characteristic properties and are used in niche applications in UTH applications, especially in tubing and pipelines around the fuel tank and engine area. PC offers good weather and UV resistance and primary automotive applications include glazing, headlaJORDAN