How Plastics are Revolutionizing Car Interiors

-


Plastics have played a significant role in revolutionizing the design of car interiors, from instrument panels and interior lighting to door panels and consoles, and upholstery and fabrics. Thanks to modern plastics technology, designers can create complex designs for items such as airbag housings, center stacks for instrument panels, and large, integrated instrument panel pieces.

One of the advantages of using plastics in car interiors is the ability to manufacture wholly integrated single-piece units from all-urethane and all-polypropylene resins. This results in a seamless instrument panel with greatly reduced NVH levels, molded-in color, and significant cost savings for manufacturers. The 2017 Lincoln Continental instrument panel is a prime example of this, claiming to be the thinnest full-size, deep-draw injection molded IP in North America at 1.9 mm/0.07 in. This design was 14% lighter and saved money in materials investment.

Interior lighting has also been greatly improved thanks to the use of plastics. Plastic LEDs and acrylic fiber optic light tubes help make controls and instrument panels more readable. Navigating is easier with overhead dome lighting and backlit buttons and knobs. Plastics’ use in safety door lighting helps alert oncoming cars of stopped roadside vehicles.

Plastics have also revolutionized the design of door panels and consoles. ABS, polypropylene, and SMA plastics shape lightweight, durable, and complicated shapes for consoles, including armrests, cup holders, and storage spaces. The 2017 Ford Super Duty Truck is a great example of this, with a quad-barrel convertible cup holder that allows the console to convert from two cup holders and a bin into a four cup holder console. Plastics help reduce noise, vibration, and harshness in the vehicle interior.


When it comes to upholstery and fabrics, polymer composites offer design flexibility, corrosion resistance, and favorable mechanical properties that make them a logical choice for car interiors. Plastics can provide similar aesthetics to natural materials with best-in-class scratch resistance for interior seats and surfaces. The 2015 Ford F-150 features seat fabric made from a hybrid blend of 100% recycled materials, including post-industrial fiber and post-consumer water bottles. Use of the fabric provides significant environmental benefits, including diverting what’s reported as over 5-million water bottles from landfills each year.

In conclusion, plastics have revolutionized the design of car interiors, offering significant advantages over traditional materials. From instrument panels and interior lighting to door panels and consoles, and upholstery and fabrics, plastics have allowed designers to create innovative, lightweight, and durable car interiors that meet the needs and expectations of modern consumers 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Shift to BS6-II Emission Norms in April 2023: Impact on Automobile Industry and Consumers.

-
Image
  The Indian automobile industry is set to undergo a significant change with the implementation of the new BS6-II emission norms from April 2023. The key change is the adoption of Real Driving Emissions (RDE), which requires real-time monitoring of a vehicle’s emission levels, and the implementation of an Onboard diagnostics device (OBD-2) for testing in actual-world conditions. The transition will also involve changes in the hardware and software of vehicles, including an upgrade in semiconductors. The estimated cost impact of the transition is expected to be lower than the previous transition to BS6 stage 1, with passenger vehicles seeing a cost increase of INR 10,000 to INR 50,000 depending on the model and engine capacity. Commercial vehicles are expected to increase in price by up to 5.0% , with entry-level 2-wheelers being impacted more due to transition-led costs .   In the face of persistent inflation, consumer discretionary spending has been stressed, and the auto...
Read more

Record High: Domestic Passenger Vehicle Sales Reach

-
Image
  R ecent industry data has revealed that the surge in vehicle sales across India has been predominantly led by the passenger vehicle (PV) segment, which has recorded robust growth figures. This surge in demand for passenger vehicles reflects a resurgence in consumer confidence and highlights the segment's pivotal role in driving the overall growth of the automotive market. According to industry sources, the passenger vehicle segment has witnessed a substantial uptick in sales volume, outpacing other categories within the automotive sector. Factors such as pent-up demand, festive season purchases, and the growing preference for personal mobility have contributed to the buoyant performance of passenger vehicle sales in India. The strong growth in the passenger vehicle segment can be attributed to various factors, including innovative product launches, attractive financing schemes, and a renewed focus on customer-centric marketing strategies by automakers. Additionally, the gradual r...
Read more

Electric Vehicles Spark a Sustainable Revolution in India : More than 2,170,000 EVs registered in India; Uttar Pradesh tops list

-
Image
India has been making significant strides in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, with over 21.70 lakh EVs being registered in the country. Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 4,65,432 registered EVs, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi. These figures are a testament to the country's growing interest in EVs as a cleaner and more sustainable mode of transportation. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has been instrumental in promoting EVs in India. The government has provided incentives to buyers and manufacturers of EVs through three schemes, including the FAME India Scheme, which provides incentives to buyers of EVs in the form of an upfront reduction in the purchase price. The PLI Scheme for Automotive Sector, approved by the government in September 2021, with a budgetary outlay of Rs 25,938 crore, also supports domestic manufacturing of vehicles, including EVs.     These schemes have led to a significant increase in sales of EVs in India, with total sales in 2022 standing at ...
Read more