SABIC collaborates with Dongfeng to produce lightweight toolbox with plastic-composite hybrid solution

SABIC has collaborated with Dongfeng Motors, one of the largest truck manufacturers in China, on the development of a novel plastic-composite hybrid solution to produce a strong, lightweight, truck-mounted toolbox.

The application is made with a combination of SABIC’s STAMAX resin, a long glass fibre polypropylene, and continuous glass fibre composite laminate inserts via a single overmoulding process.

 The finished part is lighter by up to 30 per cent (from six to four kg) compared to a similarly designed part in steel, and use of the solution allows Dongfeng to benefit from resulting production efficiencies.

Abdullah Al-Otaibi, General Manager, ETP and Market Solutions, SABIC, said: “This plastic-composite solution is a great example of how SABIC helps automotive customers expand design options and simplify production so they can achieve their goals. By combining two different materials, our solution improves both performance and processability. Now that this composite technology is validated and in mass production with Dongfeng, we see many other automotive applications that could benefit, and we are excited to help manufacturers seize those opportunities.”

In addition to truck toolboxes, automotive applications for this hybrid solution with STAMAX resin can potentially include tailgates, seating, front-end modules and battery housings for electric vehicles.

SABIC’s hybrid solution combines STAMAX resin with thermoformed composite inserts made of unidirectional (UD) glass fibre-reinforced PP tape from China-based Qiyi Tech, a company dedicated to the development and production of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials.

The laminate inserts are pre-heated before being placed in the tool and overmoulded with STAMAX resin in a single operation. The inserts add stiffness and strength to critical areas of the part, enabling the use of thin-wall geometries that can reduce weight.

SABIC’s plastic-composite hybrid solution expands design options, enables the consolidation of parts, and avoids secondary operations that can add costs and prevent high-volume production.

STAMAX resins feature 10-25% lower density than some competitive materials for weight-out. Their properties include high stiffness and impact strength, excellent structural performance, and easy flow for thin walls.