PAGEV puts spotlight on plastics that will shape the vehicles of the future

Today's vehicle designs incorporate high performance, competitive pricing, design and safety alongside durability, fuel efficiency and environmentally-conscious features with minimized carbon emissions.

The single material that delivers high performance and fuel savings through weight reduction while maintaining low carbon emissions is plastic… Smart plastics shaping the vehicles of the future were discussed by experts and industry representatives at the 11th Turkish Plastics Industry Congress organized by PAGEV.

Thanks to plastic components, vehicles become 50 percent lighter. This reduces fuel consumption by 25 to 35 percent. Every kilogram shed from a vehicle means 20 kilograms less carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime.

Operating under the mission of "Problem-free environment" in all its activities, PAGEV also signed the "Operation Clean Sweep (OCS)" protocol, implemented in partnership with the Plastics Industry Association and the American Chemistry Council, at the congress.

Today, 20 percent of an automobile is made of plastics. Beyond road transport vehicles, plastics are increasingly on the agenda of airlines.

Building on the role plastics play in transport vehicles, Turkish Plastics Manufacturers Research, Development and Education Foundation (PAGEV) examined the latest developments in the sector at the 11th Turkish Plastics Industry Congress.

In vehicle production in Turkey, an average of 12 percent of total weight is made of plastic. This amounts to 90 kilograms in cars, 15 in buses, 10 in minibuses and midi-buses, 91 in trucks and 40 in light trucks.

Since plastic components are 50 percent lighter than other parts, they provide fuel savings of around 25 to 35 percent. As vehicles become lighter, their environmental burden decreases because one kilogram of weight reduction means 20 kilograms less carbon emissions.

Automotive plastics accounted for 5 percent of total plastic production in Turkey in 2015. Last year, the average plastic content in each vehicle produced rose to 11.8 percent.

In Turkey's vehicle manufacturing and replacement demand in 2015, the quantity of plastics used in total material weight rose 52 percent compared to the previous 5 years, reaching 418 thousand tonnes.

In areas where plastic products are predominantly used, interior trim accounts for the highest share at 19 percent, followed by seats at 12 percent; these are followed by bumpers, underhood components, flooring, instrument panel, lighting and fuel systems.

Plastic use is increasing not only in road transport vehicles but also in aircraft and trains. Today, small private aircraft and next-generation passenger aircraft fuselages are manufactured from fiber-reinforced plastic composites similar to fiberglass.

These materials being lighter and more durable than metal parts provide 20 percent fuel savings. Another advantage is achieved in passenger comfort through minimized noise levels in the cabin and 80 percent sound reduction compared to conventional aircraft.

Thus plastics enable lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance and operational costs, greater environmental friendliness, quieter operation, non-stop longer-range flight and cheaper passenger fares.

Thanks to all these design and efficiency features, the use of plastics in aircraft manufacturing has risen from 4 percent in the 1970s to 30 percent today. It is projected to reach 50 percent within a short timeframe.

Turkish Plastics Manufacturers Research, Development and Education Foundation (PAGEV), which aims to highlight that the most effective solution to the transport industry's increasingly developing and growing new demands will be provided through plastic applications, organized the 11th 'Turkish Plastics Industry Congress' this year under the theme "The Future of Transport Vehicles; Plastics".

At the congress held at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel, the advantages provided by plastics used in transport vehicles and technological developments in the sector were discussed comprehensively.

At the congress, which brought together experts, industry representatives and academics from Turkey and abroad, topics such as Turkey's aviation sector, the future of automotive and innovation, technology solutions for lightweight composites, weight reduction in vehicles and the future of carbon fiber-reinforced composites were detailed discussed by experts in the field.

The congress was attended as speakers by experts from companies such as THY, BPlas, ENGEL Turkey, BASF, Kraus Maffei, Kordsa Global, 3M and A.T. Kearney. Additionally, Bloomberg HT News Coordinator Ali Çağatay delivered a presentation titled '30 Years From Now 300 Years Ago'.

At the Turkish Plastics Industry Congress, a panel was also organized specifically on "Vehicle Lightweighting Strategies in Automotive".

The panel was moderated by Farplas CEO Ömer Burhanoğlu, while Mercedes Simulation and Calculation Engineer Okan Otuz, Tofaş Interior Design Director Murat Ayhaner, Martur Automotive R&D Director Recep Kurt and Ford Otosan Executive-Body Technical Expert Oğuz Özgen participated as speakers.

New project on marine waste from PAGEV, which says "Nothing is small"

PAGEV, which leads the sector with its work on environmental issues, once again set a precedent. It signed the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) protocol, implemented in partnership with the Plastics Industry Association (SPI) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

The Operation Clean Sweep movement, with the main slogan "Nothing is small", is a voluntary-based management program for facilities using plastic materials.

Plastic products are manufactured by melting and shaping plastic raw materials in the form of plastic pellets.

These pellet-sized raw materials produced in petrochemical facilities can be spilled on floors in petrochemical plants, during transport or during plastic product manufacturing, and small particles can enter the seas via sewerage systems.

The OCS movement provides awareness, training and supervision services to ensure that plastic raw material pellets, which also have economic value, do not pose a danger to marine life.

Thanks to the work of Operation Clean Sweep, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, the plastic industry has made significant progress toward zero pellet, small piece and dust loss. Turkish plastic industry has now become part of this international initiative through PAGEV.

Speaking at the opening of the Turkish Plastics Industry Congress, PAGEV Chairman Yavuz Eroğlu said, "Today, changes in many aspects such as design and functionality in vehicles have reached remarkable proportions.

Now vehicles are expected to be more comfortable, safer, fuel-efficient, functional and stylish in design, low-priced, high-performing and environmentally-conscious. The alternative material for manufacturing vehicles that can meet all these demands is plastic.

Plastics, offering technological innovation and design freedom through their versatile and flexible use, can meet the benefits expected from today's vehicles with their lightweight, durability and recyclability properties.

In this direction, the proportion of plastic use in vehicles is gradually increasing. Currently, automotive plastics constitute around 5 percent of our total production. However, we believe that through innovation efforts in our sector, we will increase this share in a short time," he said.

Noting that this year's congress was a continuation of the automotive plastics theme discussed at the congress held two years ago and that the importance of plastics in air transport as well as road transport is increasingly growing, Eroğlu said:

"The B787 is the first passenger aircraft with a fuselage entirely manufactured from fiber-reinforced plastic. Japan's "ANA" airline set a precedent in this regard.

The aircraft took off from Tokyo with 240 passengers and landed in Hong Kong four hours later. The aircraft became popularly known as the "plastic plane". This is because 80 percent of the aircraft by volume is fiber-reinforced plastic. The aircraft was made 30 percent lighter with the high-durability material.

Thus, the Boeing 787, which can fly with longer range with 20 percent fuel savings, also pollutes the skies 40 percent less. Additionally, it was stated that this aircraft's fuselage is more durable than riveted aircraft. Boeing's initiation of plastic use was continued in 2013 by its competitor Airbus A350.

It is nice to see these examples… We hope we can realize these efforts in Turkey too; as the Turkish plastic sector, we have the infrastructure to make this happen," he concluded.