DOMO Chemicals and BRANO have successfully completed the replacement of die-cast aluminum with TECHNYL high-performance polyamides for the entire pedal support plate developed specifically for a new heavy truck model.

The key factor in today's environmentally conscious component development methods is the common goal of reducing CO2 emissions through a comprehensive approach. This requires the commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders throughout the supply chain. 

Heavy trucks OEMs focuses on metal replacement and lightweighting, while maintaining durability and reliability combined with lower fuel consumption.

"To optimize the reduction of CO2 emissions from the entire truck, it is crucial to take a holistic approach that encompasses all components and their life cycle. This includes the raw materials used, their processing, the assembly steps and, last but not least, recyclability.  In this project developed for a well-known European truck OEM, TECHNYL high performance glass fibre reinforced polyamides have been used to contribute to this trend." says Petr Škrobánek, director of Purchasing, at BRANO.   

Maximizing the performance of these polyamide parts was the task that DOMO, as a raw material producer, took up as a challenge to help BRANO replace the previous aluminum pedal support plate.

The Power of Predictive Simulation

The goal was clear: to create a polyamide part that would meet performance requirements and reduce the weight and complexity of the overall assembly, without revolutionizing the original design. To achieve this, it was essential to create and validate a virtual twin of the part. DOMO's Integrative Predictive Simulation service was key to predicting the performance of the new architecture.

There can be no robust FEA simulation without robust material data. With DOMO, BRANO was able to rely on an extensive material model database, including mechanical and injection molding (MMI) simulations - all fundamental building blocks for reliable predictive simulation. 

But DOMO went further, using predictive simulation to validate short-term static and dynamic behavior, as well as long-term cyclic loading, including fatigue prediction. 

This made it possible to identify and optimize areas of the part subject to high stress. The part manufacturer confirmed the validity of the simulation results by physical testing.

Thanks to predictive simulation, DOMO was able to identify the right geometry at first glance. The entire assembly had to withstand 6 million cycles for the rupture test and 4.5 million cycles for the clutch with an applied load of 1800N in various environmental conditions (-40°C to +80°C and up to 95% RH). These endurance tests are a realistic representation of real-world requirements.

In addition to the mechanical tests, BRANO also performed environmental tests (humidity-temperature). The aim was to determine the distortion of the component by means of an alternating climate test. Again, thanks to the simulation software, it was easy to identify the correct placement of the ribs and local reinforcement elements needed to homologate the new material according to the required standard.

"I have seen many materials that pass the laboratory requirements but fail in the field. TECHNYL has proven to be compliant in both areas." Škrobánek concluded.

Benefits of switching from aluminum to TECHNYL

The power of virtual prototyping and the high level of technical support provided by DOMO accelerated the development process and increased efficiency, allowing to define the new plastic part design at a glance. According to BRANO, the weight reduction compared to the previous part was approximately 27%, while the total part cost reduction was approximately 60%.

The plastic part has an additional but by no means insignificant advantage in that it does not require the post-treatment typical of metal parts. Even the mold life has been increased by four times, as the tool now needs to be replaced after 1,000,000 parts, compared to 250,000 for the previous aluminum mold. 

The application is now running in series production and will be on display at the next Fakuma (Friedrichshafen, Germany, October 15-19, 2024) on the DOMO stand: Hall B4, Booth - 4216.

Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)