Compound is cost-effective replacement for metal
A
RTP Company product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Apr 4, 2003
Volvo Truck engineers have teamed with RTP Company to develop an innovative material solution.
In the automotive industry, cost and weight reduction are the driving force behind engineering design and innovation.
Volvo Trucks, long known for its styling, productivity-enhancing electronics and comfort-laden cabs, recently identified two types of brackets as cost-cutting candidates.
Volvo Truck engineers teamed with RTP Company to develop an innovative material solution.
They settled on an RTP 4700 Series glass-reinforced polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) compound.
PTT is a semicrystalline polyester, closely related to the more common thermoplastic polyesters, PET and PBT, but typically less expensive.
The new injection moulded brackets include L-shaped faring brackets - used to mechanically fasten the cab's aluminum grab handle - and brackets designed to hold a roof-mounted satellite dish.
During testing, the grab handle was subjected to a 113kg load, which necessitated a bracket tensile strength of at least 138MPa.
Its prominent placement required that the brackets exhibit a quality surface, which allows the brackets to be topcoat painted (requiring no primer) to control costs.
Further, shrinkage rates of any replacement material would have to correspond to those of the existing tool.
The satellite bracket called for a flexural modulus of at least 8268MPa.
As this bracket did not require painting, both performance and finish would have to withstand the rigors of the open road The RTP 4700 Series compound contains both a UV protection package and glass fibre reinforcement.
With a tensile strength of 158MPa and a flexural modulus of 10,335MPa, the material passed all load testing.
Though reinforced, the part exhibits a smooth, resin-rich surface acceptable as a stand-alone finish and suitable for one coat painting.
Jason Spence, Volvo Product Design Engineer said of the PTT compound: "It represented the best combination of performance and value of all the materials we evaluated.
It was less costly than both glass filled PBT and nylon 6/6.
Long-fibre-reinforced polypropylene was competitively priced, but it fell short of PTT's performance in terms of UV exposure".
Spence added that consolidation into a single, less expensive material also helped "attain the goal of producing more value in the parts".
He continued, "The RTP 4700 Series PTT material is a viable and economical alternative to other polyesters, and it was available from a supplier who offered the professionalism and technical skills to make it work".
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