2008-12-02

Renault utilizes the weight and design benefits of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Noryl GTX™ resin for Twingo and Kangoo

The weight reduction and design freedom benefits from using high-performance Noryl GTX™ resin in automotive fenders and other body panels have been proven in more than 12 million vehicles worldwide. Building on its many years of success using this SABIC Innovative Plastics resin, French automaker Renault has extended the technology to two of its newest models. The 2007 Twingo and 2008 Kangoo are the latest Renault vehicles to feature lightweight, durable and strong Noryl GTX resin for the fenders as an alternative to steel. This high-performance technology has enabled Renault to keep the fender weight down by as much as approximately 50 percent vs. steel, while delivering better low-speed impact durability than steel.

“With increasing pressures on our automotive customers to reduce weight wherever possible, the use of lightweight thermoplastic materials as an alternative to steel for fenders has gone mainstream,” said Derek Buckmaster, market director for Automotive Body Panels and Glazing, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “Thanks to more than 10 years of positive results with the technology and the increasing importance of component weight savings, Renault now uses Noryl GTX resin on the majority of its car models. We’ve worked side-by-side with Renault as long-term partners to help them meet changing market demands and regulatory requirements with new and innovative advanced material solutions.”

OEMs Improve Vehicle Fuel Efficiency with the Help of Noryl GTX Resin
Conductive Noryl GTX resins for fenders and other body panels offer major benefits, including weight reduction, increased freedom and flexibility to design and mold complex parts, and the ability to be used in standard automotive body painting processes. The SABIC Innovative Plastics’ resins can be painted or powder-coated simultaneously alongside the body without the need for a primer step. Noryl GTX resins have been selected for use by more than 10 different OEMs around the world.

Renault selected Noryl GTX 979 resin for its two latest vehicles, resulting in weight savings of 1.5 kg for the Twingo and 1.7 kg for the Kangoo. In addition, the versatile resin allowed Renault to increase part integration for system cost savings and incorporate style elements for competitive differentiation. In day-to-day use, fenders molded from Noryl GTX resin typically resist minor dents and damage better than steel fenders. They are also typically resistant to corrosion and may be recycled at the end of the vehicle’s life.

Information about the company: Sabic Innovative Plastics Denmark ApS