The next era of lightweight automotive mold production has arrived

At this stage, whether from the perspective of performance or environmental protection, lightweighting of automobile mold production has become an inevitable trend. Carbon fiber composite materials are the only choice for lightweighting automobiles. The well-known Formula One racing car body is made of carbon fiber composite materials as a whole. With the development of technology, this material has gradually become popular and has begun to be used in ordinary cars. The domestic Kangde Composite Materials Co., Ltd. has worked hand in hand with German researchers to develop and produce this technology, and has achieved certain results.

1. Lightweighting of automobiles is unstoppable

Reducing the weight of cars is what people have been pursuing. Lighter cars can improve vehicle performance on the one hand, and on the other hand, they can better meet the needs of energy conservation and environmental protection. If all the steel parts of the current car are replaced by carbon fiber composite materials, the weight of the car body can be reduced by 40-50%, and the performance of the car's acceleration and steering will be significantly improved. In addition, the current emission of pollutants from motor vehicles in my country has exceeded 45 million tons. The development of lightweight cars is an urgent need to achieve a low-carbon economy in my country. Data shows that for every 10% weight reduction of a car, fuel consumption can be saved by 7%. Currently, steel materials account for about 3/4 of the weight of the car body. If all the steel parts of the car are replaced by carbon fiber composite materials, the weight of the car body can be reduced by 300kg, fuel efficiency can be improved by 36%, and carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 17%. If the weight is reduced by 20%-30%, the annual CO2 emissions of each car can be reduced by 0.5T, which not only reduces the cost of use, but also is more environmentally friendly.

2. Carbon fiber composite materials are an inevitable choice

Carbon fiber is made of chemical fiber and petroleum through a special process. In addition to the same high temperature resistance, friction resistance, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity as general carbon materials, it has higher strength, lighter weight, and more corrosion resistance. Its density is less than 1/4 of steel, but its tensile strength is 7 to 9 times that of steel, and its tensile elasticity is also higher than that of steel. In a high temperature inert environment above 2000℃, it is a material whose strength does not decrease. It does not dissolve or swell in organic solvents, acids, and alkalis, and its corrosion resistance is outstanding. Moreover, it has a soft appearance and can be processed into various fabrics. From the perspective of use, carbon fiber does not have the problem of corrosion and rust, and is more durable than ordinary metal. Under extreme climatic conditions, the properties of carbon fiber hardly change. Using carbon fiber to make the car body can save the high-cost and cumbersome painting process. No wonder some people say that carbon fiber is almost the most perfect material known to reduce the weight of the car.
Cars using carbon fiber composite materials accelerate faster
3. The development of carbon fiber composite material technology has attracted much attention
There are two key technologies of carbon fiber composite materials that have attracted the attention of OEM manufacturers. One is modular production. Carbon fiber composite materials have good plasticity and can be processed into various parts or made into an integrated structure. For example, a car seat needs to weld 50 to 60 parts. If a whole carbon fiber composite material is used, it can be processed and formed in one time, which not only shortens the processing time and reduces the cost, but also guarantees the accuracy. The second is the development and application of the production process-resin transfer molding (RTM) technology, which can greatly increase the speed of part molding, shorten the traditional molding time of several days to a few minutes, and has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and green environmental protection. BMW, Audi, Teijin and other companies have tested or used this technology. The use of newer molding technology can enable carbon fiber products to meet the requirements of Class A surface, expanding the scope of use of carbon fiber composite materials in automobiles.

Application of carbon fiber composite materials in automobiles

Therefore, as lightweighting of automobiles has become a trend, the use of carbon fiber composite material technology provides a better choice for lightweighting of automobiles and has become an inevitable choice on the road to change. Kangde Composites is in a leading position in this field and can provide the best overall carbon fiber lightweight solution for the development of lightweight automobiles.