This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at La automoción planta cara

CEP opens one of the days in automotive plastics more comprehensive in its history

The automotive plant side

Drafting PU01/08/2003

In 1984, when the first days of plastics in automotive, were held were consumed 97,000 tons of plastics in the manufacture of vehicles. After almost two decades have changed many things in the sector, consumption has reached the 338,000 tonnes per year and the automotive industry has become one of the most hard and competitive markets. In this scenario was opened the eighth edition of the Conference, which took place between 18 to 19 June in Barcelona.

The sector came to the mass (265 assistants) to the octave days of plastics in automotive, organized by the Spanish plastics Centre (CEP), with an eye on the East - both the European and the Asian-due to the displacement of activities of some manufacturers to countries where labour is cheaper and the costs are lower. However, also was recalled the extremely positive development of the sector in recent years, both as regards the consumption of plastic materials (have moved 97,000 tonnes in 1984 to 338.000 in 1984) as to the figures of production and sale of vehicles.

The director-general of industry of the Generalitat Catalan, Antoni Gurgui, recalled in this respect that the Government continues to this sector as "strategic" and described it as "fashion" the fact that car manufacturers currently choose to invest in Eastern Europe. Gurgui pointed out the need to implement a plan that takes into account the improvement in the structures, the productive agility, investment in technology, labour flexibility and the clarification of objectives for the future, and added that the fact of having passed much more serious historical crisis should serve as hope so that we are able to overcome the current situation.

Another positive note put the current President of the CEP, Albert Moreno, who chaired the Conference for the first time. Moreno wanted to thank the efforts they have made all the members of the Association and especially the former President, Josep Lloria. For its part, the Chairman of the Committee of the Conference, José block (from GE Plastics), said at the opening that this edition is "one of the most complete that we have ever organized". The first edition of these conferences was held in 1984.

(Photo: CEP)

Very mature market

The President of the society of technicians of Automoción (STA), Vicente Aguilera, stated in his presentation that Miss a "Spanish vision" and "technological strategy" of the Central Government on the automotive sector.

Aguilera explained that the production capacity in Spain reached its peak in the year 2000. Since then, our country has gone from fifth to seventh place in world production of cars for Korea and China. In addition it is expected that China should soon fourth place moved to France. As positive, Aguilera cited the fact that virtually all the major manufacturers in the sector have a presence in Spain and that the production has actually remained similar to 1999 levels.

According to Aguilera, who spoke of the future of plastics in the automotive industry, today of automotive market is very mature and tends to the concentration and the diversity of models, which makes the price of each car. Aguilera, future development tendirán to the safety and comfort, the new technologies of communication and sustainability, which in turn, will increase the use of plastics in cars.

The STA President gave a vision of some trends in r & d in order to optimize the relationship between cost and value added to avoid the incidence of the price of labour, and in this line scored two points of interest: on the one hand the change in the concepts of role/component in the design, manufacture and Assembly, and on the other hand the demand for greater collaboration between manufacturer and supplier with a greater involvement of the latter. Although he always referred to the vehicle and not to the materials, at various times he commented the great role that they have and will have the plastic in these developments and change of approach.

This line also includes the papers they presented M.A. Obregón (Spanish SERNAUTO-Association of manufacturers of equipment and components for automotive), and C. Mesonero-Romanos (Seat).

There are serious logistical and economic problems that must be solved to reach a rational recycling, as this just transposed Community law set forth in the Spanish legislation

Opening the Conference table (photo: CEP)

Rationalization of the production

Several presentations were devoted to technological innovations in processes for greater rationalization of manufacturing or Assembly of components. They are hybrid technologies from Basf Española, EMS-Grivory integrated systems and systems of welding of more profitable and effective of the CETENASA Foundation and Branson ultrasonic parts.

There were also many papers about face design criteria to enhance the functionality, safety and comfort but lowering costs. This topic discussed Foundation ASCAMM/PHIRA components of automotive, Robert Eller Associates, Stamylan Spain and Plastic Omnium equipment foreign.

Plastic materials

Presentations on the plastic materials themselves referred more to criteria for choosing between the palette available plastics, types and modifications of the same, as no new plastic. They spoke of Iberian DuPont, General Electric Plastics Iberica, Repsol YPF, Rhodia Iberia and Ticona Iberian materials. Within this chapter include the entry of the polycarbonate in substitution of the glass and the polymethylmethacrylate in crystals of large size (for example the total ceiling) cited in his presentation f. Coloma (Bayer polymers) and that has required new molding technologies as j. Berthold (Battenfeld Iberian) had mentioned in his presentation.

This Conference, we have just quoted and studying the variants of injection with gas, water, etc., along with those presented by the a. Revoltós (Alimatic), and a. Rampone (Negri Bossi) were the contribution made by the manufacturers of machines in this vision of today.

Before the manufacture

The need for study of the pieces before his production to achieve the required results was discussed from a physical point of view "" in the papers about studies physical mechanics presented Basell acquisition and LGAI Technological Center, and "virtual", with two conferences about the simulation of the moulding in charge of Moldflow Iberian and HUF Spain.

With the rules of the recycling

In addition to the technical and economic points of view, on the day was also sought on legislation of vehicles no longer in use (C. Mataix of Spanish ANFAC-Association of manufacturers of cars and trucks) and processes possible recycling tried S. Arnaiz (GAIKER technology centre.) Among other things, both speakers made it clear that there are serious logistical and economic problems that must be solved to reach a rational recycling, as this just transposed Community law set forth in the Spanish legislation.

Finally we have to mention a unique presentation: dedicated to batteries of polymeric membrane fuel and its application in automotive in which a. Linares, the Institute of science and technology of polymers-CSIC, exhibited bright and clearly the principle of fuel cellsWhat is commonly said "the hydrogen engine". After a series of scientific concepts and thermodynamic phenomena, the rapporteur ended with the tagline of the need to study the reduction in the costs to make all this possible, so practically made a portrait of what, over the days it was constant: we are researching, innovating and rehearsing very much, but in the end we just always talking of how lower costs.