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Plastics use rises

More applications on the way for trucks In the grand scheme of anniversaries -- at least according to etiquette expert Amy Vanderbilt -- plastic (together with paper) usually is associated with first anniversaries. But in 1988 the self-anointed "wonder" material is pushing aside gold and getting chummy with the 50-year-old crowd.

Led by individual celebrants, such as Du Pont Co. (nylon and Teflon) and Monsanto Chemical Co. (Saflex), many plastics folks mark 1988 as the 50th anniversary of the modern plastics industry.

Throughout the past half-century, of course, the auto industry has been strongly involved with plastics, nurturing the relationship and maturing along with it.

Initial uses included windshields laminated with Saflex and various thermosets -- in applications such as gears, connectors and distributor heads. And by late 1940, Henry Ford could be seen slamming an axe against the deck lid of a new Ford to prove the durability of an experimental soybean-based plastic.

Usage continued to spread, from body panels to interior trim to under-the-hood components. It culminated in 1984, with the advent of General Motors Corp.'s all-plastic skinned Pontiac Fiero, proving that the material could be a feasible alternative in high-production volumes.

Without hesitation, proponents see continued growth in the auto market, claiming the material still is in its infancy.

"There are several areas where plastics haven't been practical in the past," confides Fred E. Schwab, president of Group Four Associates Inc., a Livonia, MI-based manufacturing agent and consulting firm. "But that's today. By tomorrow we might see a scratch-resistant plastic suitable for glazing, or an aerodynamic plastic under panel." says Mr. Schwab, a charter member of the 46-year-old Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

Indeed, based on one report the amount of plastics used in North American-built cars and light trucks is forecast to increase 50% over the next decade, from 2.2 billion lbs. (998 million kg) today to 3.3 billion lbs. (1.5 billion kg) in '98. The study, done by Market Search Inc. (MSI), says about 251 million lbs. (114 million kg) more will be used in body panels; 127 million lbs. (58 million kg) more in structural components; 123 million lbs. (56 million kg) more in front-and rear-end components; and 23 million lbs. (10 million kg) more in exterior trim.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:58 AM