Vehicle electrification, these engineering plastics can make a big difference

　　The autonomous driving level is based on the definition of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), L2 (partial driving automation) and below belong to ADAS, and L3 and above belong to autonomous driving
.
There are already models on the market equipped with L2-level functions
.
Needless to say, driving a car requires "visual recognition, judgment, and operation" by the driver
.
ADAS, on the other hand, partially replaces these actions through the operation of various components
.
If they are roughly classified, it can be said that "visual recognition" corresponds to sensors, "judgment" corresponds to ECU, and "operation" corresponds to actuators
.
In addition, the communication equipment that supports the parts that the sensor cannot recognize and the communication network connecting the various parts also play an important role
.

　　ADAS components are composed of sensors that monitor the surroundings, actuators that perform actions, communication equipment between vehicles or between vehicles and infrastructure, and ECUs (Electronic Control Units) that make judgments
.
In addition, with the advanced development of ADAS, the amount of data sent and received by each component has increased, and high-speed communication has become indispensable
.
And with the further expansion of 5G communication in the future, it is expected that high-speed transmission parts and high-frequency transmission parts will also increase
.

　　With the high development of ADAS, the control functions of some actuator components are automated, so related products need to have high operational reliability
.
Therefore, more and more emphasis is placed on the consideration of redundancy in the design, for example, the circuit of power supply and signal is divided into two systems
.
This change places considerable demands on reliability, requiring actuator components not to fail even when installed in harsh environments
.
The resins used in these parts also require high reliability (long service life)
.

　　Hydrolysis-resistant PBT can meet the harsh application environment of actuator components

　　Components installed under the vehicle are very close to the road surface and are exposed to substances such as water, snow melt and oil on the road surface
.
In addition, high temperatures are encountered due to the proximity of heat-generating components such as engines and motors
.
Due to these environmental factors, PBT with high heat resistance, good chemical resistance and little change in water absorption characteristics is selected for many actuator components
.

　　Polyplastics' DURANEX 330HR, 531HS, 532AR can withstand this harsh environment and are materials with good durability (hydrolysis resistance)
.

　　According to reports, the ambient temperature under the vehicle is very high, and it is also exposed to water and snow melting agents, which belongs to the environment where metal parts are prone to rust
.
Iron not only corrodes and rusts, but also produces alkaline substances when rusted
.
Contact of such alkaline substances with resin parts may cause cracks (stress cracks) in the resin
.
In order to prevent this stress cracking from occurring, either of the following measures should be taken: ① Use a resin with alkali resistance, ② Take anti-corrosion measures for the metal
.
532AR grade is resistant to alkaline substances, and is not prone to stress cracking even when metal rust comes into contact with resin parts, so it is very suitable for parts installed under vehicles
.

　　DURANEX® PBT 750AM with flame retardancy and dimensional stability

　　With the electrification of vehicles, the demand for flame retardancy of resins is increasing year by year
.
Many flame-retardant resins are used in motors, batteries, and charging parts that generate high voltages
.
In addition, in recent years, flame-retardant resins have also been used in data communication equipment for V2X (Vehicle to everything)
.
V2X is a function required for the practical application of autonomous driving (SAE level 3 or higher), and it is expected that more and more vehicles will be equipped with this function in the future
.
The housing and connector of this data communication device are made of engineering plastics
.
In addition to flame retardancy, these engineering plastics are also required to have high durability and high dimensional accuracy in the vehicle environment
.

　　Polyplastics' DURANEX product is certified as a flame retardant material (V-0 in the UL standard), and is used in many automotive parts
.
In particular, DURANEX 750AM has high durability in in-vehicle environment
.
In addition, the function of stabilizing the shape of the housing and connector has been added, and in recent years, it has become more and more popular for automotive parts that require flame retardancy
.

　　Polyplastics stated that DURANEX 750AM has sufficient durability and high dimensional stability required in the automotive field, and is an ideal material for EVs, HEV parts, and communication equipment
.