Materials
Thermoplastics
Thermoplastics become a homogenized liquid when heated and harden when cooled. They can be heated and reformed many times. CSP creates composite body panels and structural components through a variety of thermoplastic technologies. Advantages include low-flow stress during molding, material homogeneity in complex part design, greater styling flexibility and lower tooling costs. Our thermoplastic technologies include:
Glass Mat Thermoplastic (GMT)
- Strong partnerships with key GMT suppliers globally.
- Homogenous material due to consistency of glass content and length.
- Typically used for structural parts such as bumpers and underbody shields.
Direct Long Fiber Thermoplastic (D-LFT)
- Material compounded and extruded adjacent to presses for optimal efficiency, cycle time.
- Can be modified to meet customer-specific applications.
- In-house processing reduces cost levels versus GMT.
- Can be injection molded with plunger-type system for better flow, and is ideal for structural and certain Class A finish parts.
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Ability to set up JIT production line adjacent to customer location.
- High volume alternative that optimizes value versus other shield materials.
- Thermoforming allows for design flexibility, ideal for wheel liners and a variety of underbody shields.