Electrification: The move to smarter systems
The move to electric and hybrid cars is one major automotive trend. The replacement of traditional, energy-hungry hydraulic systems with smarter, electrical systems in traditional internal combustion engines is another. In fact, by moving to on-demand power, manufacturers can potentially cut energy usage by 45 percent and systems costs by 25 percent.
Hybrid and electrical vehicles could comprise anywhere between 10 and 25 percent of all new vehicles rolling off the production lines by 2020 (depending on various factors).
Today, we are already working on a wide range of applications for e-cars, including starters, alternators, batteries and electro-motors. One of the biggest challenges is the limited battery technology – which makes energy-efficient electrical systems even more important to enable all available power to be used for driving the car. It’s a specific need DSM is meeting today with thermoplastics like Stanyl® and Stanyl ForTii®.
Making petrol more efficient
Of course, you don’t need an electric car to benefit from electrification. Today we are seeing more manufacturers turn to electrical systems that effectively provide power-on-demand.
The trend towards miniaturization is also a growing part of this story – the demand for smaller, greener components that outlast traditional materials at extreme temperatures, often with better mechanical performance. Not only do they save energy, they save money: Up to 25 percent in systems costs.
In LED lighting for example, the latest thermo-conductive materials like Stanyl® TC are improving performance thanks to their outstanding thermo-conductive properties; while our Arnite® material is providing less beam vibration and low outgassing. Our solutions for automotive electrical systems can sustain the higher processing temperatures of surface mount soldering techniques, and have successfully demonstrated a 33 percent reduction in wall thickness for vehicle control modules while improving design flexibility.
