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Glass fibre mat reinforced thermoplastics (GMT) are now able to be designed for light weight applications with lower than ever before wall thicknesses and high surface finish. This is made possible as result of new material developments using the Azdel chopped fiber technology. Highly isotropic in-plane material properties are now attainable over very long material flow trajectories in combination with the thinnest wall sections. This breakthrough has been enabled by an economical method to maximise the macroscopic fibre-fibre interaction, without loss of mechanical, flow and other performance properties. Further, the fiber content and part weight distribution capability are of the highest quality available, further ensuring that molders and OEMs may design reliably at the lowest part weight.

The need for lightweight, fuel efficient, environmentally friendly, affordable automobiles has spurred considerable development in the field of composites. Composites made from lightweight thermoplastics, glass and carbon fibers or low-density metal alloys inherently fit the industry trends. Glass Mat Thermoplastic (GMT) composites made from continuous strand or chopped glass fiber web have been used for over two decades in automotive structural applications such as bumper beams, skid plates, running boards etc. Typically GMTs weigh 4 to 5 Kg/m2 and are flow-molded in a compression press. A low-density, lightweight GMT composite containing long chopped fiber strands was developed by AZDEL, Inc. for use in headliner and other automotive interior applications. The low density GMT weighs between 0.5 to 2Kg/m2. This paper presents further development of the low-density GMT for automotive structural applications.

Glass-mat-thermoplastic (GMT) composites are frequently used in structural applications in the automotive industry. Typically, these materials are flow molded in a compression press and weigh 4000 - 4900 g / m2. In this paper, we present the development of low-density (700 -2000 g / m2), long-fiber GMT composites for applications in headliner and other interior components. The new thermoplastic headliner materials offer several advantages over existing headliner materials, including low weight and cost; high rigidity at elevated temperatures and high humidity; faster cycle time; recyclability; design flexibility; a more environmentally friendly production method; and reduction of raw material inventory compared to existing processes. In this paper, we will discuss the mechanical and acoustical properties of this new headliner material and compare it with current headliner material substrates.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revised the upper interior head-impact requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 201 to reduce abbreviated injury scale (AIS) 3 or greater injuries or fatalities during vehicle collisions. The more-stringent FMVSS 201 requirements have made both OEMs and material suppliers consider new design approaches and new materials with improved performance. This has led to development of several new trim-design options. In this paper we discuss the development of a new headliner substrate material that is believed will meet the FMVSS 201 head injury criterion (HIC) of 1000 or less - a value that is directly equivalent to the AIS 3 scale. Also discussed is how both a headform model and analytical methodology were used to evaluate this new material against existing headliner materials.

The I-Section bumper design has evolved over the past 10 years into a lightweight, low cost, high performance alternative to traditional bumper beams. Initial I-Section Bumpers were developed with 40% Chopped fiberglass GMT. Through the development of lower cost Mineral-Filled/Chopped fiberglass GMT, improved static load and dynamic impact performance results have been achieved in I-Section Bumper Designs.