Exteriors

Automotive OEMs face multiple – and sometimes conflicting – requirements in producing exterior parts such as fenders, spoilers, mirror assemblies, trim, fuel tank flaps and charge ports. Consumers demand trendy styling and aesthetics, such as illuminated signage to replace front grilles in EVs, a high-gloss surface appearance and the latest colors. Designers need to integrate components like sensors and antennas into exterior parts for better performance and aerodynamics. Meanwhile, business goals of system cost reduction, increased sustainability and additional weight-out require new solutions.

SABIC’s Specialties business offers materials that can help OEMs improve exterior aesthetics and support new designs while reducing system costs through processing efficiencies. Replacing paint with molded-in color capability is a key strategy. SABIC’s NORYL GTX™ resins and LNP™ SLX copolymers can be formulated with colors and special effects inherent in the pellet. Molded-in color can lower costs by eliminating secondary operations and protect human health and air quality by avoiding volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during painting.

To further improve sustainability, customers can select SABIC’s LNP™ ELCRIN™ copolymers, bio-based ULTEM™ and NORYL™ resins and other specialty materials that incorporate post-consumer recycled or bio-based feedstocks. Weight savings from replacing steel with thermoplastics can improve fuel economy, reduce carbon emissions and extend EV range.

For designers, SABIC’s materials offer greater flexibility to achieve goals such as part integration (lighting, ADAS, spoilers) and aggressive styling compared to metal and glass.

Added to all these benefits are the outstanding performance properties of SABIC’s materials— weatherability, impact, chemical and corrosion resistance, dimensional stability—paired with processing flexibility using methods such as overmolding and thin-wall molding.