Door Modules Made from Thermoplastic Composite Materials
Kingfa at K 2019
The use of lightweight door modules in serial production of the Ford Focus reduces vehicle weight (© Kingfa)
The materials from Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co. Ltd. and its subsidiary Guangzhou Kingfa Carbon Fiber Materials Development Co. Ltd., both from Guangzhou, China, are used in China for serial production of lightweight door modules for the new Ford Focus. In developing the new continuous fiber-reinforced material with the brand name KingPly, Kingfa worked closely with Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co., Coburg, Germany. This composite based on unidirectional (UD) layers combined with a PP matrix achieves a weight reduction of around 35 % compared with an injection molded carrier, according to the manufacturer’s own data. As opposed to a door module carrier made from PP-LGF 30, vehicle weight is said to be cut by more than 1kg in the four-door Ford Focus. Compared with a vehicle door made from steel without a plastic carrier, vehicle weight can even be reduced by more than 5 kg.
Forming and Overmolding in the same Tool.
The sheets for the door module are cut by Kingfa to the exact dimensions required in the injection mold, so that during production by the customer there is no need for cutting and no waste is generated. The composite material can be processed in an injection mold using the one-shot process. Important features of the process are a short cycle time and forming and overmolding of the composite in the same tool. The composite material is overmolded with a pultruded PP-LGF injection molding material that complements the lightweight design of the carrier and creates an esthetic surface. This material grade has been modified for low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions and minimal odor, according to the manufacturer. Kingfa‘s portfolio currently comprises UD tapes, chopped glass layers, and organosheets, based predominantly on glass fibers and thermoplastic matrices. KingPly organosheets based on PP and PA6 are supplied mainly for automotive applications, whereas KingStrong UD tapes based on PP, PA6, ABS, and HDPE also offer applications outside the automotive sector.
K 2019: Hall 5, booth A23
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co. Ltd.
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