“Opportunities for the UK plastics industry are for the taking” automotive giants tell Interplas

INTERPLAS EXCLUSIVE

A stellar line-up of representatives from some of the globe’s leading automotive companies told an eager audience at Interplas that “opportunities are there for the taking” when it comes to plastics.

Starting proceedings, Jaguar Land Rover’s Ian Ray said plastics were “only going to take a greater role” when it comes to the automotive industry meeting the challenges it faces head on.

These, he explained, include the need to reduce overall vehicle weight, innovate where new engine technology is concerned, as well as keeping up with “generation Z” in its demand for ever more personalised and customised cars and interiors.

“The use of plastics and thermoplastics in JLR’s vehicles is only going to get greater,” he told the audience. “The UK plastics industry is fantastic and we know it has the capabilities to supply a company such as ours to help us progress. However, we need to work together to innovate; we need our suppliers to be global players.”

Ray urged suppliers in the UK to take the opportunities a changing market presented and not to be complacent. “We mustn’t let out European competitors overtake us,” he said.

Following Ray, Mark Ellis of Nissan echoed the need for togetherness, urging the industry to come forward to present its solutions to the challenges faced by the UK’s automotive manufacturers.

“The next 10 years are predicted to be the most significant period of innovation in the last 100 years for the automotive industry,” Ellis explained. “Business opportunities are there for the polymer industry to exploit.”

“It will be how we use these technologies, and in the right way, that will lead us to work successfully with the industry. The door is always open,” he added.

Next, the audience heard from DuPont’s Craig Norrey, who gave an enlightening presentation as to how the combination of injection moulding with thermoplastic composites can open new doors in design, part weight reduction and innovation.

Norrey identified a case study from DuPont’s work on the ALIVE 6 project where the successful replacement of an oil pan highlighted future possibilities for success in materials replacement for a variety of components.

Finally, Richard Logan of the SMMT painted a picture of strength where the UK’s overall car manufacturing industry is concerned, however, he warned that Brexit was still preventing the "full force of investment" being placed in the UK by some of the globe’s leading manufacturers.