Plastics expand their range
OFHJUN09_03
06/01/2009
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From high-speed train exterior panels to powertrain components, plastics and composite materials are finding their way into more off-highway applications.
The motivation for using composites is strong even as such motivations vary between applications. In one application, reducing mass for better fuel economy is important. Another application may stress reducing part and warranty costs.
Understanding the breadth and depth of composite manufacturing processes as well as the variety of materials themselves can be daunting. The alphabet soup of manufacturing processes (RTM, VARTM, SCRIMP, etc.) is matched by the names of polymers (PEEK, PET, PAI, etc.). Broadly speaking, there are plastics that can be heated and reformed called thermoplastics, and plastics that are polymerized into solids called thermosets.