Plastics In Automotive
With the decrease in natural resources, we are forced to look to alternative materials for future use. Steel and other resources are slowly becoming depleted, and we must find alternative materials that are abundant, less expensive and lower in weight. The alternative material must still have the strength and integrity to prevent failure or mishap, and must also be tested before being placed into production. Due to the decreased amount of landfill space, the material must also be recyclable. At the rate our economy is growing, the long-lived steel industry will not be able to supply all of our needs forever. Since most American families own at least two automobiles, this is the primary source for steel component reduction. Approximately 55% of the U.S. population own at least one One possible solution to this problem is to replace steel parts with plastic parts where applicable. Manufacturing more parts out of plastic will allow the steel industry to keep up with the rising usage necessary to supply our economy elsewhere, and enable us to recycle the plastic when necessary. Plastics can easily
The nylon pedal and bracket are connected using a nylon hinge for easy mounting. Much like the aluminum recycling of old, plastic recycling has found its way across America. Once again, however, the consumers will not realize the savings initially, but will save in the long run, as they will not have to replace these components as quickly. As stated before, however, consumers will not see a drastic cut in automotive cost, as these components are only a small portion of the total cost in building an automobile. As a society, we cannot look toward the immediate satisfaction of using plastic products today, but at the impact it will have on our children of tomorrow. In the past, these obsolete parts would end up in the landfills across the country. With technological breakthroughs, however, it may not be long before we are able to produce those wild color schemes. The 1999 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado have incorporated a plastic clutch pedal and bracket assembly to their vehicles. These nylon parts eliminate the need for corrosion-resistant coatings required with steel parts, and ensure smooth operations without lubrication (Molinaro 7). Now, plastics are being used from bumper to bumper, and have been proposed to be used even further. The drag coefficient has improved by 6%, and fuel economy by 3% with the new aerodynamic shapes and lighter weight. Until recently, the clutch transmission and gearbox were all made of steel. " Plastics Engineering July 1999: 6-8.
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