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Quantum Leap Packaging and GM Exploring Polymer for Metal Replacement
21 September 2008
Quantum Leap Packaging, Inc. (QLP), a provider of high performance materials for semiconductor assembly, co-presented a paper with GM at the SPE Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition (16-18 September) entitled “Revolutionary Polymer for Metal Replacement in Automotive Applications”.
Dr. Mike Zimmerman of QLP and Charles Buehler of GM co-presented. Buehler, a GM Materials Engineer, described automotive material needs such as low coefficient of expansion matching metals and high stiffness required for metal replacement and weight reduction in vehicles. Buehler discussed specific applications such as structural parts, support brackets, and high heat under-the-hood applications that require low weight, low expansion and gap control.
Dr. Zimmerman, CTO of QLP, then presented Quantech’s material properties and included data generated by GM. A comparison of Quantech’s material properties were made to steel, aluminum, magnesium and other polymers. The data showed significant advantages and demonstrated how Quantech could be used for structural applications and metal replacement.
Quantech has very low coefficient of expansion, very close to steel and aluminum with a high amount of stiffness, yet the density is much lower allowing significant weight savings. According to GM, the new Quantech parts could be in new cars within 6 months, depending on application.
September 21, 2008 in Brief | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: JN2 | September 21, 2008 at 09:12 AM
GM actually doing something about car weight?
nah ,,, this is just another green wash and a way to keep new useful technology off the market.
Let me know when it is in production and part of a car.
Posted by: John Taylor | September 21, 2008 at 08:29 PM
Did they mention cost? Unless these parts can be stamped out as quickly as cheaply as steel parts, GM will have a hard time adopting them.
GM has always based it's decisions on getting the lowest possible marginal cost per unit, and then moving to huge volumes. That's their issue with traditional carbon fiber.
@JN2, All plastics are recyclable...if you consider running a 5,000 degree arc of current through them and turning them into syngas to be recycling ;-)
I think if you shave 400 pounds off the weight of the vehicle, that saves enough energy over 120,000 miles to more than make up for higher recycling costs.
Posted by: Healthy Breeze | September 21, 2008 at 09:07 PM
Cool. Sounds like Star Trek. I'm waiting for transparent Aluminum (or something like that).
Oil is too valuable to burn. It makes me feel like we are cavemen.
Posted by: TM | September 21, 2008 at 10:09 PM
Instead of stamping out the parts the can use injection molding. For some reason I get the feeling that this polymer will shatter and not deform like steel. The MEs can argue as to whether that's a good thing or bad thing.
Posted by: GreenPlease | September 22, 2008 at 05:30 AM
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Cool. But is it recyclable?