The traditional view in the automotive sector is that heavy materials are equated with quality, solidity and safety. One might think, therefore, that the drive for lighter vehicle weight, which continues to gather pace as the industry moves into the realm of hybrid and electric vehicles, carries a potential risk in the overall safety performance of the car as lighter materials are used.
But is this actually true? Ultimately, weight is only one factor in vehicle safety. Quite apart from the fact that using lightweight materials for some components will not, on its own, reduce overall vehicle weight, it is by definition misleading to infer that by increasing weight, a vehicle will necessarily be safer. Ultimately, what is most important is that a vehicle is well designed from a safety point of view and employs materials which can absorb sufficient energy to protect occupants during the wide range of impact scenarios which need to be covered.
Lightweight materials should not at any stage be discounted as an aid to protecting vehicle occupants and other road users.
Meanwhile, adding or enhancing a protective feature may contribute to safety in one way but hamper it in another. For example, enhanced front impact protection by way of a rigid and heavy bumper system may make the occupant safer in a frontal crash, but another potentially significant problem has been created in case of a collision with a pedestrian. This means that lightweight materials should not at any stage be discounted as an aid to protecting vehicle occupants and other road users.
Indeed, continued rapid advances in this area mean that more than ever it is possible to reduce weight and optimise safety at the same time. The latest formulations in lightweight materials boast unique physical properties which allow them to be compressed and absorb significant energy without failing – not just once but on numerous occasions – while being able to reliably and consistently withstand impacts from different directions. This means they compare favourably with many metal or injection-moulded plastic materials which are in any case significantly heavier.
An excellent example is in how modern vehicles cope with the possibility of rear impact. Many vehicles have traditionally used the spare wheel as an extra means to transmit and dissipate into the vehicle structure any impact energy not removed by the rear bumper system. However, the modern trend among many manufacturers is not to have a replacement wheel and instead to supply an inflation repair kit able to get a vehicle which has suffered a puncture to the next garage. So, without the spare wheel, how can the same level of protection be achieved? A boot storage component formed from a lightweight material cannot only provide a convenient place to keep the tyre repair system while adding to overall boot functionality – designed and installed correctly, it can contribute substantially to impact absorption too.
If a material can increase protection and reduce weight too, then it is surely to be welcomed as a key contributor to both occupant safety and reduced fuel consumption.
Optimising vehicle safety is about doing everything possible to control what happens in the event of an impact and so maximising its attractiveness to buyers through its Euro NCAP rating. Every scenario is different in terms of speed and direction of the impact force. What vehicle designers can control, however, is the amount and type of materials used to deliver the required levels of safety. And if a material can increase protection and reduce weight too, then it is surely to be welcomed as a key contributor to both occupant safety and reduced fuel consumption – particularly given that modern lightweight materials also have much to offer in the areas of sustainability and recyclability.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
Bert Suffis is Development & Application Sales Manager – ARPRO at JSP
JSP is the world leader in production and development of ARPRO and its many applications. An essential product for the automotive, packaging and consumer product industries, ARPRO is contributing to society through energy saving (weight reduction) and impact energy management. A true global provider, JSP helps its customers increase their profitability through the innovative use of ARPRO. The company’s stock is quoted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. www.arpro.com
The AutomotiveWorld.com Expert Opinion column is open to automotive industry decision makers and influencers. If you would like to contribute an Expert Opinion piece, please contact editorial@automotiveworld.com
