In today’s vehicles, electronics are playing a big role; and in automobiles of the near future, electronics will play an even bigger role. Electronics are an associated component of the automotive industry and are becoming even more important in engine management, transmission, chassis, driver assistance, passenger comfort, infotainment systems, and last, but certainly most important, safety systems.

These electronic systems are not only controlling the vehicle systems—they are evaluating the methods of driving. Soon these systems will be able to support improvement of an individual’s driving habits.

With the increasing trend of improving efficiency—lightweighting and downsizing the components in a car versus increasing the demand of electronics—the industry is looking at every possible way of downsizing components with better and more efficient ways of delivering the desired output. Although this can be challenging for designers and engineers, there are materials solutions that lend themselves well to improving efficiency while meeting demands of electronic system components.

Electronic components are like sensors—MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) in general are the key components in many electronic interfaces. They manage internal and external controls and demand the most extreme performance requirements. They are required to cope with the fierce temperature conditions and withstand different automotive fluids and external environmental conditions. With such tough performance requirements, it can be a challenge to find a solution that offers functionality along with reliability.

DSM’s material solution ForTii PA4T meets these performance requirements and is designed to maintain stiffness at elevated temperatures to minimize dimensional changes. It ensures low creep at elevated temperatures and performs in extreme chemical environments. This innovative technology enables the entire PCB and driving circuitry to be integrated straight into the sensor, which means smaller components with more functionality and reliability.

As automobiles rely more on electronics for critical vehicle operation, in addition to entertainment and comfort functions, there is a need to operate without error in the presence of interferences and to not have interference with other systems in the vehicle. Electromagnetic interference can disrupt electronic devices, equipment and systems performance.

To overcome the challenges of electromagnetic interface, a variety of conventional solutions, like metallic enclosures, coatings, foams, other sealing mechanisms, etc., are utilized. However, these  solutions limit the freedom and ease of design, making the processes longer and more difficult.

DSM’s solution is conductive engineering plastics—Stanyl, Xytron and Akulon—that provide EMI shielding and thermal conductivity. A 45-60 dB shielding can be achieved together with thermal conductivity.

Any of these three material solutions can enable almost 50% of weight savings per component compared to a metal or a coated metal EMI shielded component. Plus, these materials ensure long-term durability and sustainability.

To learn more about Stanyl, Xytron and Akulon, or to request test samples, contact us or visit plasticsfinder.com for additional information, including technical data sheets.