The plumbing and heating sector poses a challenge for metal replacement applications. |
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tal requirements. The use of engineering polymers significantly reduces the weight of components, contributing to the efficiency of the systems into which they are integrated. Yet the true advantage emerges above all in terms of sustainability. „ Metal replacement is an extremely efficient method to reduce environmental impact,“ Spini emphasises. The results confirm this: depending on the application, significant reductions in CO 2 emissions can be achieved throughout the entire life cycle, as well as significant cost optimisation. This dual benefit— technical and economic— explains why metal replacement has become a strategic lever in many industrial sectors increasingly oriented toward sustainable production models. |
ELECTRIC MOBILITY- A NEW DEVELOPMENT AREA A highly promising area is electric mobility, where technological evolution is opening up significant opportunities for advanced polymers. Historically dominated by aluminium, this sector now offers new opportunities for innovation. Spini draws a significant parallel with the past: „ Just as many applications in the sphere of internal combustion engines have switched from metal to plastic, the same could also apply to electric vehicles.“ In particular, power management components, battery systems and support structures represent areas where metal replacement can express its full potential. The transition to higher voltages and increasingly |
complex systems requires solutions and materials capable of combining mechanical strength, electrical insulation and long-term stability— features that next-generation engineering polymers are able to offer.
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE- APPLICATION EX- AMPLES The validity of metal replacement is confirmed by numerous real-world cases. An excellent example is the development of the Genny Zero personal transporter for persons with mobility problems, in which metal has been replaced with engineering polymers in both structural and aesthetic components. The result is a weight reduction of up to 45 %, as well as improved overall performance.
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Italian technology plast / October 2021 |
www. plastmagazine. it |
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