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Transportation Industry Marine Composites Transportation Industry The transportation industry represents the best opportunity for growth in structural composites use. As manufacturing technologies mature, the cost and quality advantages of composite construction will introduce more, smaller manufacturers into a marketplace that will be increasingly responsive to change. [1-39] Current FRP technology has long been utilized in the recreational vehicle industry where limited production runs preclude expensive tooling and complex forms are common. Truck hoods and fairing assemblies have been prevalent since the energy crisis in 1974. Automotive Applications The automotive industry has been slowly incorporating composite and FRP materials into cars to enhance efficiency, reliability and customer appeal. In 1960, the average car contained approximately 20 pounds of plastic material, while a car built in 1985 has on the average 245 pounds of plastic. Plastic materials are replacing steel in body panels, grills, bumpers and structural members. Besides traditional plastics, newer materials that are gaining acceptance include reinforced urethane, high heat distortion thermoplastics, high glass loaded polyesters, structural foams, super tough nylons, high molecular weight polyethylenes, high impact polypropylenes and polycarbonate blends. New processes are also accelerating the use of plastics in automobiles. These new processing technologies include reaction injection molding of urethane, compression molding, structural foam molding, blow molding, thermoplastic stamping, sheet molding, resin injection molding and resin transfer molding. [1-40] Sheet molding compound (SMC) techniques using thermoset resins have evolved into an accepted method for producing functional and structural automotive parts. The dimensional stability of these parts, along with reduced tooling costs, lead to applications in the 1970s that were not necessarily performance driven. As Class A finishes were achieved, large exterior body panels made from SMC began to appear on production models. Today, structural applications are being considered as candidate applications for composites. Improvements in resin formulations and processing methods are being credited for more widespread applications. As an example, Ashland Composite Polymers has developed a more flexible SMC resin system in conjunction with the Budd Company, a leading U.S. producer of SMC body panels. Newer resins offer weight savings of 20% over conventional SMC methods and produce parts that are almost half the weight of steel (based on equal stiffness fender designs). [1-41] MOBIK The MOBIK company in Gerlingen, West Germany, is researching and developing advanced composite engineering concepts in the automotive industry. They believe that tomorrow’s car must be economical and functional and more environmentally compatible. Composite Intensive Vehicles (CIVs) will weigh less and thus enable considerable savings in other areas. Lower horsepower engines, less assembly time and cost, longer life span and fewer repairs are among the benefits of composite intensive automobiles. In addition, these advanced composites will dampen noise and vibrations, allow for integration of parts, experience less corrosion, need less tooling and equipment transformation, and are recyclable. Obstacles they face include present lack of a high-speed manufacturing technology for advanced composites and new engineering solutions to overcome structural discontinuities. [1-42] 41PDF Image | Marine Componsites
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