Ford Kuga breaks new ground with PP body panels
Among the many innovative features of Ford’s new crossover model is the use of advanced polyolefin materials for two prominent body elements – the roof spoiler and the tailgate outer panel. The two components are molded in a talc-filled grade, Hifax TRC 280X.
With respect to steel – or even engineering plastics – the Hifax material delivers significant cost and weight-savings, which translates into greater fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions,” commented Neil Fuenmayor, LyondellBasell’s Ford Customer Program Manager. The specification for the material was extremely stringent – low thermal expansion was essential given the close integration with the rest of the steel bodywork – and high stiffness was equally important.
No less demanding were the application’s aesthetic requirements. These highly visible parts had to display a flawless surface quality for painting – something that is often difficult to achieve with thermosets and some engineering resins. “We managed to develop a resin with unique properties for this application,” said Fuenmayor. “Thermal expansion is far lower than that of a standard PP resin and even many engineering thermoplastics, and stiffness is around 3000 MPa.” The surface quality of the molded parts is extremely good – thanks both to the resin’s excellent melt flow characteristics (MFR = 18 g/10 min) and the extensive mold flow analysis carried out by LyondellBasell’s CAE centre to optimize mold design and gating.