Xcentric can help optimize your lightweighting strategy with automotive plastics that deliver the same tensile strength, temp.- and chemical-resistance, and mechanical properties as metal. This way you can meet the federal government’s CAFE mandate for fuel economy and CO2 emissions while staying competitive in the market.
Let’s bring your auto components to market lighter, cheaper, and faster than ever. Request a quote or contact Xcentric to get started.
Plastic Lightweighting
Injection- and insert-molded plastics decrease costs and offset the weight of EV technology. Companies typically save 25-50% by converting metal to plastic.
Rapid Prototyping
Have you considered aluminum tooling for rapid prototyping? It’s cheaper than steel and can reduce cycle times up to 40%.
Agile Manufacturing
An agile injection molding partner that can quickly scale production can mitigate the risk of disruptions to your supply chain and keep projects on time and on budget.
Plastic Lightweighting
As electronics become smaller and more densely packaged, replacing metal with advanced polymers and high-performance plastic can provide designers and engineers:
- Flexibility for designing complex, critical-use components
- High-tensile strength and mechanical performance
- Ability to offset the added weight of sensor technology
Contact an Xcentric design consultant to learn which automotive plastic is right for your application.
“Automotive sensor is one of the fastest growing technologies in the OEM section, especially in North America.”
Top 5 Advantages Of Plastic Lightweighting
- Injection molding is faster and requires fewer steps to produce complex, high-performance parts
- Quick-turn means faster time-to-market
- Tools last 500,000+ cycles and require less maintenance and downtime than metal die casting
- Design efficiency reduces assembly time and part count
- Molded plastics eliminate expensive secondary operations
Not sure if plastic is right for your application? We are ready to assist you from idea through production.
Metal-to-plastic conversion can be tricky, especially when accommodating new technology. Download Xcentric’s Design For Manufacturability Guide. it is packed with design tips and best practices for optimizing your auto designs for the injection molding process.
Rapid Prototyping
Prototyping goes beyond fit, form, and function to provide real-world usage data regarding strength, durability and mechanical performance.
- Quickly test performance of multiple plastics
- Confirm part geometry feasibility
- Optimize gate locations
- Identify design flaws early in the process
- Reduce production time
Contact an Xcentric application engineer to discuss prototyping options.
Aluminum Molds Can Be Up To 50% Cheaper Than Steel And Can Reduce Cycle Time Up To 40%.
Aluminum vs. Steel Tooling: A Comparison
Aluminum Tooling for Automotive Rapid Prototyping and Low-Volume Production
Top Advantages
- Molds can be up to 50% cheaper than steel
- Material fills the mold faster and more evenly
- Superior thermal control can reduce cycle time up to 40%
- Ideal for part designs with complex geometries
- Minimal warp and much better dimentional stability for a higher acceptance rate
Consider aluminum tooling for your next prototype or low-volume run. Contact Xcentric to learn more.
“As you are working on building resilience, keep in mind it is not about creating redundancy, but rather integrating flexibility and agility into your operations.”
–PWC: COVID-19 and The Automotive Industry
Agile Manufacturing
Digital manufacturing is critical for achieving one of the post-pandemic goals: An agile and sustainable supply chain.
Xcentric provides rapid digital manufacturing that links injection molding to the global supply chain to maintain the flow of business.
Contact an Xcentric account executive to learn how we can help bring your auto components to market lighter, cheaper, and faster.
Watch the webinar to learn how these strategies work together to remove risk from your supply chain while leveraging it to benefit your business.
Located And Made In The USA Since 1997
Xcentric is an agile rapid manufacturing company with two facilities in Michigan. Our on-site designers, mold makers, engineers, and customer service team are committed to achieving your design intent.
SUPPORT FOR YOUR ENTIRE PROCESS
Xcentric has built a library of design guides and webinar videos using our decades of experience and expertise. Leverage our knowledge base to support your designs.
| DESIGN RESOURCE CENTER | WEBINAR VIDEO LIBRARY |
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Let us help you get that first prototype underway and have that part in your hands in as few as five business days. Our engineers help you through the design process. Get your project started now!