The Benefits of Lightness and Sustainability
In recent years, Scientific Research and Experimentation in Thermoplastic Polymers have led to the development of High Performance Polymers suitable for substituting metals in many industrial applications.
In GHEPI we specialize in Metal Replacement, with experience gained in co-designing with Customers and Suppliers since the early 1980s.
In nearly 40 years we have seen tremendous results in terms of performance improvement and increased competitiveness:
- Weight Reduction
Lower raw material weight and thermoplastic materials design criteria lead to significantly lighter component weight. - Enhanced environmental sustainability
The same mechanical part weighs 2 to 5 times less if produced in plastic rather than metal, leading to less energy expenditure and reduced CO2 emissions, all the way from polymer production to the transformation and finished part deployment. - Functional integration
Injection molding allows to obtain with one single part the functionalities before obtained with multiple components. Thanks to a careful selection of polymers, excellent results in terms of integration of mechanical, tribological and aesthetic characteristics can be achieved in one-shot operations. - Reduction of Stages and Processing Costs
Functional integration streamlines manufacturing, extra-machining and assembly processes, leading to a substantial reduction in overall production costs.
- Faster Time to Market
The reduced sequence of tests and sampling in the project development phase enable speeding up time to market. - Lead Time Reduction
Overall manufacturing time is minimized thanks to fewer production steps. In most cases, the finished product is obtained from the very first injection molding process. - Freedom of Design
Multifunctional items with particularly complex geometries and shapes can be obtained with consistent cost savings. - Performance Improvement
Lubricants can be eliminated, moving weight, wear and noise greatly reduced.
In addition to developing Metal Replacement projects, GHEPI assists Customers’ internal Life Cycle Assessment and EcoDesign projects through Technology Transfer and Product Innovation aimed at reducing Environmental Impact.
