In order to reduce the weight of the metal chassis components, a high-performance production process was developed.
With VESTAMELT ® Hylink adhesive, multiform process simultaneously achieves the formation and bonding of long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics and sheet metal, and reduces the weight of vertical and horizontal car control arms used as demonstration parts by about 20%.
This longitudinal control arm made of high-strength steel and 40% long glass-reinforced thermoplastic with VESTAMID® PA12 adhesive replaces solid metal parts and reduces weight by approximately 20%.
The metal components and plastic components in the composite material component are usually joined together by means of friction or shape fitting components such as screws, rivets, etc., or are joined together by overmolding and insert molding.
Now a new production process, covering sheet metal forming and long fiber reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) molding, but the challenge is to consider the reinforcement ribs and the variable wall thickness distribution of fiber reinforced plastics. It is necessary to bond with VESTAMELT® Hylink adhesive technology.
In order to demonstrate this process, the rear axle of the automobile of a well-known German automobile manufacturer was selected. The lateral control arm was used as a demonstration. They were originally made of solid metal and are now produced by multiform process.
Under the direction of Professor X. Fang from the University of Siegen, Germany, the researchers designed, simulated/calculated and tested the parts made with the new FRP-metal hybrid material.
With the completion of these and subsequent process developments, a new solution emerged with high-strength steel and long-glass reinforced thermoplastics, while VESTAMELT® Hylink adhesives were used to bond dissimilar materials.
For the purpose of demonstration, in the production of longitudinal control arms, polyamide 6 with 40% long glass fiber, polyamide 610 and polyamide 12.
In the multiform process:
❖ First extruding a long glass fiber reinforced compound produced by Weber Fibertech to obtain a formable semi-finished product;
❖ Then, the semi-finished product is placed in a mold together with a preheated metal plate coated with VESTAMELT® Hylink (transferred in molten state);
❖ In one step, the two components are pressed and bonded together.
The mold has a concave structure for rib and metal forming.
This integrated process of steel and LFT bonding thanks to VESTAMELT® Hylink adhesive allows the parts to be bonded directly from the mold.
This production method can replace the traditional multi-step production process more technically and economically.
The combination of steel and LFT, two different types of materials, with VESTAMELT® Hylink adhesive can also reduce the thickness of the steel plate by more than 1 mm, whereby the weight of such longitudinal and lateral control arm demonstrations can be reduced. 20%.