From ivory substitute to LFT injection moulding: the history of plastics in automotive engineering
Plastics are a popular material in automotive engineering due to their lightweight and lower cost. The lower strength compared to metals can be compensated for by using high-performance polymers or combining plastics with glass or carbon fibres. The components are manufactured using injection moulding.
Plastics have been around for longer than cars. The first thermoplastic, called Parkesine, wa