Automotive component supplier Mecaplast (Monaco; www.mecaplastgroup.com) claims that newly patented injection moulding technology, in combination with novel PP compounds, can cut the weight of interior and exterior auto trim parts by between 30 - 50%.

The company is to join a French government-sponsored project called “Plume” to industrialise the process, which relies on a combination of moving mould cores, a chemical blowing agent, and lightweight reinforcing fillers. The EUR 2.4m project begins in September 2012, and will run for two years.

In the “Plume” process, material is injected into a mould with moving walls that are initially in the forward position. Once all the material has been injected, and the skins of the part have solidified, the walls retract. This lowers the pressure in the mould cavity and the chemical blowing agent, previously dissolved in the melt, comes out of solution in the areas of the part that are still fluid to create a cellular structure that fills the newly created space. This foaming process on its own is claimed to enable a weight reduction in the part of at least 30% compared to conventional solid moulding.

The reinforcing fillers are claimed to improve surface quality and reduce part weight by as much as 7%, without loss of mechanical properties. Compounds with various fillers will be trialled during the Plume project.

Mecaplast plans to trial the process on two components, a tailgate interior trim and exterior beltline mouldings. The beltline mouldings will be produced in two versions, one with a grained surface that will require no painting and another that will be paintable.

The project will involve the participation of a number of other French companies including compound producer Sumika Polymer Compounds (Saint-Martin de Crau), part of Sumitomo Chemical (Tokyo / Japan; www.sumitomo-chemical.co.jp) and mould-maker Cero (Challans / France; www.cero.fr).