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LyondellBasell Creates Lightweight Plastic Engine Hood with Chinese Tier I
Low linear coefficient expansion polypropylene grade is a key enabler in the lightweighting effort.
Stephen Moore
May 6, 2024
2 Min Read
Image courtesy of LYB
LyondellBasell (LYB) and Chinese Tier I parts maker Hunan Huda Aisheng Group (AISN) have joined forces to create the first lightweight plastic engine hood applications for the new energy vehicles (NEVs) of premium domestic automotive brands. The two companies held a grand launch ceremony for this new product at Chinaplas 2024 in Shanghai.
"LyondellBasell is looking forward to working with AISN to drive a common mission of rapidly developing China's new energy vehicle market through differentiated solutions,” said Rolf van Beeck, vice president of Advanced Polymer Solutions at LyondellBasell Asia Pacific and AfMEI, “In the future, we plan on further combining AISN’s expertise in automotive technology with the LyondellBasell compound solutions, expanding the relationship to cover more body panel areas, and providing more automotive OEMs with innovation and development of automotive materials."
Lightweight automotive components.
With the advancement of low-carbon green policies worldwide, China’s automotive industry is achieving energy savings and carbon reduction through various means. The development and application of lightweight automotive components has become one of the prominent ways to address this. As part of this collaboration, LyondellBasell is making full use of its Hifax low linear coefficient expansion polypropylene (PP) compounds to provide an alternative solution to traditional metal engine hoods, delivering:
High rigidity to ensure structural integrity, and be less prone to deformation due to temperature, humidity, etc., thereby meeting stringent dimensional requirements;
an aesthetic effect that is difficult to replicate with metal, allowing designers to explore more aesthetic possibilities while maintaining superior performance;
a significant reduction in the total weight of the body panels through the use of plastic instead of steel.
Material selection and development of manufacturing process.
"Over the years, AISN has been deeply committed to the automotive industry, providing services from design to manufacturing, and has developed a series of products such as composite door covers, dashboard beams, front-end modules, material battery packs, etc.,” said Xiong Liming, general manager of Hunan Huda Aisheng Automotive Components & Equipment Manufacturing. “In the future, we are expected to join forces with LyondellBasell to provide a relevant series of products, starting with identifying the suitable material for the development and manufacturing process. We jointly anticipate the innovation and development of automotive parts and promoting energy conservation and environmental protection in the automotive industry."
As a global leader in PP compounding, LyondellBasell has been focusing on the development of exterior body panels over the years and has successfully developed the Hifax and Sequel series products, accumulating a wealth of experience in material development and application.
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