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Application of GMT in Automobiles - Composites
July 14, 2022
Glass Fiber Mat Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites (GMT)
Glass mat reinforced thermoplastic composite material (Glass Mat Reinforced Thermorplastic, referred to as GMT) refers to a novel, energy-saving and lightweight composite material with thermoplastic resin as matrix and glass fiber mat as reinforced skeleton; GMT has complex design functions, and Excellent impact resistance, while being easy to assemble and rework, generally produces semi-finished sheet material, which can then be directly processed into the desired shape.
1. Higher strength The strength of GMT is similar to that of hand lay-up polyester FRP products, its density is 1.01-1.19g/cm, and it is smaller than thermosetting FRP (1.8-2.0g/cm), so it has higher strength. 2. High rigidity The GMT contains GF fabric so it retains its shape even with a 10mph impact crash. 3. Lightweight and energy saving The weight of the car door made of GMT material can be reduced from 26Kg to 15Kg, and the thickness of the back can be reduced, so that the space of the car can be increased, and the energy consumption is only 60%-80% of the steel product and 35%-50% of the aluminum product. 4. Impact performance The ability of GMT to absorb shock is 2.5-3 times higher than that of SMC/BMC chopped strands. Under the action of impact force, dents or cracks appear in SMC, steel and aluminum, but GMT is safe. It has the advantages of recycling and long storage period.
The application of GMT materials in the automotive field
The GMT sheet has high strength and can be made into lightweight parts, and at the same time has a high degree of design freedom, strong impact energy absorption, and good processing performance. The market for GMT materials for the automotive industry will continue to grow steadily as the requirements for fuel economy, recyclability and ease of processing continue to increase.
At present, GMT materials are widely used fiberglass chopped strands for automotive industry, mainly including seat frames, bumpers, dashboards, hoods, battery brackets, foot pedals, front ends, floors, fenders, rear doors, roofs, luggage Brackets, sun visors, spare tire racks, etc.
The specific applications of GMT in automobiles include:
1. Seat Frame
The second-row seat backs on the Ford Motor Company 2015 Ford Mustang Roadster were compression molded designed by Tier 1 fiberglass supplier/fabricator Continental Structural Plastics using Hanwha L&C's 45% unidirectional glass fiber reinforced fiberglass chopped mat thermoplastic composite (GMT) And Century Tool & Gage's tooling, compression molding, successfully met the very challenging European safety regulations ECE for holding luggage under load.
2. Rear anti-collision beam
The anti-collision beam at the rear of the 2015 Hyundai brand new Tucson is the fibre glass material used by GMT. Compared with steel products, it is lighter in weight and has better cushioning performance. It reduces vehicle weight and fuel consumption while ensuring safety performance.
3. Front-end module
Mercedes-Benz has selected Quadrant Glass Fiber Plastic Composites GMTexTM fabric-reinforced thermoplastic composites as front-end modular elements in its S-Class luxury coupe.
4. Body under guard
Underbody hood protection manufactured by Quadrant Plastic Composites in high-performance GMTex TM is applied to the Mercedes off-road special edition.
5. Tailgate skeleton
In addition to the usual advantages of functional integration and weight reduction, the GMT tailgate structure enables the formability of the GMT to achieve product forms that are not possible with steel or aluminum, and are used in Nissan Murano, Infiniti FX45 and other models.
6. Dashboard Framework
GMT's new concept of manufacturing dashboard frames is already in use on several Ford Group models. These composite materials enable a wide range of functional integrations, notably by including the vehicle crossmember in the form of a thin steel tube in a moulded part, and with the traditional Compared with the method, the weight is greatly reduced without increasing the cost.
GMT is highly praised for its strength and lightness, making it an ideal structural component to replace steel and reduce mass. It is currently an extremely active composite material development variety in the world and is regarded as one of the new materials of the century.
