The automotive industry is increasingly looking for lighter-weight substitutes for metal components, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs) and other alternative drive technologies. The metal replacement material must not only be lighter weight, but also cost-effective and tough enough to do the job. This is why Carbody selected the new Technyl® Max polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6) technology for its all-plastic brake pedal, replacing the conventional steel design with a lightweight hybrid structure.
With polymer materials capable of achieving the required rigidity, fatigue resistance and weight reduction properties, Technyl® Max was specifically developed to address this market trend. Combining the Technyl® Star high-fluidity polymer together with the latest glass fiber technology, this innovative combination made Technyl® Max the material of choice to develop the first brake pedal without a metal core.
“Automotive OEMs and tiers are increasingly looking for high rigidity materials to substitute a range of metal components for the lightweighting of new energy vehicles,” says Gérald Durski, Marketing Director for DOMO's Performance Polyamides. “It was a great opportunity for us to co-design this pioneering polyamide brake pedal in close partnership with Carbody, demonstrating the performance of our brand new highly-filled Technyl® Max.”
Pedal to the max
Carobdy’s new brake pedal, called Skeleton, features a rod-shaped composite structure that is over-molded with 60% glass-filled Technyl® Max technology. This provides the brake pedal superior fracture resistance under loads of up to 3,000 N (approximately 300kg) and even maintaining its operational safety beyond that limit. The average force applied in emergency braking is around 500 N.
“The strength of the new Technyl® Max was instrumental in maximizing lightweighting for our unique pedal concept,” explains Loïc Lefebvre, R&D Expert at Carbody. “We have been relying on the Technyl® team’s expertise in metal replacement for many years; their upgraded HUB advanced service platform is a key differentiation lever to optimize design and performance for demanding safety parts.”
In addition to car pedal systems, the new Technyl® Max targets semi-structural components, such as transmission and motor mount cross beams, air shutter grills and seat structures. Its low density offers significant weight savings over typical die-casting metals at comparable tensile strength. This is of particular importance for applications in EVs, which require even greater rigidity and fatigue resistance due to higher frequencies.
This co-development is backed by the Technyl Force’s extensive experience in metal replacement. HUB by Technyl® is a unique platform of connected services and dedicated experts, which notably includes MMI Technyl® Design predictive simulation and APT Technyl® Validation, the application performance testing lab. These advanced services provide customer innovation with enhanced capabilities and synergies for eco-design agility and cost optimization.
Find out how Technyl® Max can help you maximize the advantages of metal replacement for automotive components by contacting the Technyl Force team.