Press Release
Lightweighting
Learn more about Envalior’s lightweight material solutions to lower weight & cost and maintain optimal driving experiences
Less is More – Why metal design is not always the optimal solution
As vehicle electrification accelerates, metal design is not always the optimal solution as it lowers complexity but increases curb weight. To maintain optimal driving experiences, there is a need to decrease the parts weight to compensate for increased battery weight.
To achieve lightweighting , you may extend your toolbox with engineering materials. Plastic solution eases logistics and transportation and allows less secondary operations (no milling/drilling, painting, corrosion protection) with lower energy consumption, less waste streams in production and less hazardous production steps. In the meantime it offers scalability for higher production numbers.
Developing Next-Gen Hybrid Cross-Car Beams
The automotive industry is evolving rapidly, and material innovation is leading the way! Hybrid cross-car beams, integrating metal and thermoplastics, are transforming vehicle performance by offering:
- 20-30% weight reduction for improved efficiency
- Exceptional strength and rigidity with glass or carbon fiber reinforcement
- Corrosion resistance for long-term durability
- Streamlined manufacturing through advanced design flexibility
Read our new whitepaper, “Unlocking the Power of Hybrid Technology” to explore how hybrid cross-car beams can elevate your next project.
Built to Evolve: Hybrid Cross-Car Beams Explained
As automakers race to meet aggressive CO₂ reduction targets, lightweighting has become a central focus in vehicle design-especially for structural components. Read this Automotive Engineering Inside Story, featuring Envalior technical expert Ron Krotwaar, to learn how hybrid cross-car beams are helping OEMs reduce weight without sacrificing safety, manage material cost volatility, and align with evolving sustainability goals. Discover how these advanced solutions are reshaping vehicle architecture for electrification, cost-efficiency, and faster development cycles in an increasingly complex global market.
Collaborating with Envalior - your best solution partner in lightweighting
Designing in plastics is not straight forward; many influences determine the best suitable materials. Envalior has capabilities to support in every stage if the development process: Advanced part design and CAE calculations, material choice, cost assessment, mold lay-out and prototype/pre-series molding assistance.
Environment
- Heat
- Chemicals (oils, glycol, acids)
- Humidity / Moisture
- UV
Performance
- Stiffness
- Creep resistance
- Strength
- Impact
- Fatigue
- Tribology
Design & Processing
- Functional integration
- Ribbing
- Wall thickness
- Flow length / Wedline
- Shrinkage / Warpage
- Tolerances
- Surface quality
- Gate location (design)
EV-Hybrid
- Thermal conductivity
- Electrical insulative / conductive
- Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) shielding
- High CTI
- Electro-friendly materials
- Ecofriendly materials
Explore Envalior grades for lightweighting
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