Less Wear, More Wow

As the global production of cars continues to increase, the demand for quality placed on these vehicles is also increasing. With car sharing, ride sharing, and ride hailing services becoming more common, the miles that a single car is driven and amount of time the car is filled with passengers will also rise. And as an automotive designer, you want each and every one of your vehicles to give drivers and passengers a riding experience just short of nirvana.

There’s just one problem: all of that increased usage creates greater wear on components. For instance, a passenger may use a sunroof twice per day in a personally owned car. Passengers in a car that is shared by multiple drivers, though, could likely operate the sunroof two to four times more than that. Seats may also be adjusted more frequently throughout the day to accommodate, for example, one driver’s need to carry a surfboard or another driver’s need to transport four kids to soccer practice.  

All of these increases in usage can lead to more wear due to component friction and vibration. This, in turn, can lead to bumps, squeaks and rattles in the interior of the car.  An electric car does not even have engine noise to drown out those bumps, squeaks, and rattles. There goes the premium customer experience you’re trying to create. So how can you prevent this premature wear?

Synthetic oils and greases have typically been used, and while they offer significant benefits, they also present drawbacks. They don’t remove the need for long-term maintenance, as parts will still wear, contaminate other interior finishes, capture dirt, and corrode. What’s more, using lubricants to protect a component from wear is a two-step process, because the part must first be manufactured, then coated with oil or grease, adding cost to the manufacturing process.

Consider making a switch to internally lubricated polymers. They inherently provide cleaner surfaces and resistance to continued wear. And because they’re formulated with lubricious additives, routine maintenance using oils and greases is ancient history. 

Beyond improved surface appearance, protection from friction, and reduced wear, these polymers also offer the design freedom and part consolidation potential of thermoplastics. That means you can eliminate the need for a costly two-step manufacturing process to fuse or fasten parts, and also reduce overall component weight. 

Not sure if internally lubricated polymers are your answer? Here are the some of the top automotive applications that can benefit from making the switch: 

• Sunroof components and channels
• Windshield wiper arms
• Bearings
• Seat glides
• Steering mechanisms
• Pedal systems
• Levers
• Handles

Learn more about the solutions that bring this idea to life: LubriOne™ Internally Lubricated Formulations