In recent years, green energy and lightweight construction have become dominant themes in the development of the automotive industry. Lightweight components, represented by plastic parts, are gradually replacing traditional metal parts. Automakers are achieving weight reduction, reducing braking distances caused by inertia, improving vehicle durability and safety, and increasing the effective driving range by extensively utilizing lightweight plastic products during the design and production of automobiles. Experimental evidence shows that when the total weight of a vehicle is reduced by 10%, energy efficiency can be improved by approximately 6%-8%, and the driving range can be increased by approximately 5.5%.
New Development Opportunities for Automotive Interior and Exterior Trim in the Era of Lightweight Construction
The lightweighting of automotive interior and exterior trim components is an important part of overall vehicle weight reduction. With the rapid advancement of plastic material science, including automotive dashboards, door panels, body panels, chassis components, bumpers, fuel tanks, engine intake pipes, and clutch actuation systems, have all made the transition to “plastic replacing steel”.
In the face of increasingly fierce market competition, global automotive brands are seeking new technological applications to enhance the design aesthetics of their products, thereby increasing added value and differentiation. The speed of technological iteration and flexible production capacity have become important means for automakers to enhance their core competitiveness. Laser technology is one of the key technologies propelling the automotive industry into the “lightweight era”.
Schematic Diagram of Automotive Body Plastic Components Application
Laser Cutting Accelerates the Upgrade of Automotive Lightweight Construction
To meet mass production requirements, most automotive plastic parts are produced using mold injection processing. The water gate refers to the runner section formed after injection molding, which includes the mold junction and the gate where the material is injected. The excess material needs to be cut before assembly. Water gate cutting is one of the crucial processes in plastic part manufacturing.
As an advanced non-contact cutting method, laser cutting eliminates the need for molds and other consumables compared to traditional cutting methods. Laser equipment operates stably, consumes less energy, and is environmentally friendly, effectively reducing production costs and improving economic efficiency for enterprises. Moreover, laser cutting offers high flexibility and adaptability, fully meeting the varied shapes and sizes of water gates in automotive plastic components. It shortens the research and development and production cycle of automotive parts, providing strong support for the rapid launch of new automotive products and the quick production of new projects.
Professional Empowerment in Laser Cutting Solutions
Laser technology has been widely applied in the field of automotive interior processing. As a leading manufacturer of industrial laser equipment in China, Han’s Laser was among the first to enter the automotive application field. From its inception, Han’s Laser established a dedicated application department for the automotive industry, providing comprehensive and flexible laser processing solutions that cover the entire automotive manufacturing industry. In the field of water gate cutting for automotive plastic components, Han’s Laser pioneered the introduction of high-performance equipment such as universal laser cutting machines and 3D five-axis laser cutting machines, which are widely used for rapid cutting of flat components, 3D curved components, and complex-shaped components.
In the automotive interior and exterior trim field, Han’s Laser supports various application functions through self-developed laser equipment control software, control boards, and intelligent cloud platforms. These functions include dual-head asynchronous cutting control, electric multi-head cutting control, rotary engraving control, and multi-platform inter-movement control. The equipment offers higher precision control and stronger expansion performance, achieving customized processing capabilities, and assisting users in enhancing their product differentiation and market competitiveness.
Han’s Laser 3D five-axis laser cutting machine adopts a professional three-dimensional five-axis numerical control system, enabling 360° infinite rotation and ±135° swing, with a wide cutting range to meet the processing needs of most complex-shaped products. Additionally, the cutting head features automatic focusing and rapid perforation functions, greatly improving production efficiency. Real-time display of processing trajectory, coordinate points, and progress ensures the ability to monitor equipment operating status, ensuring highly consistent processing quality.
Han’s Laser has established long-term strategic partnerships with numerous international first-tier automotive brands and has become the exclusive designated supplier of laser processing equipment for several leading international automotive manufacturing companies in the Chinese market. Keeping pace with the evolving market landscape of the automotive industry’s “lightweight era,” Han’s Laser will continue to enhance its comprehensive strength in stability, intelligence, and technological content in laser equipment. Leveraging its core advantage in independent innovation, Han’s Laser is committed to vigorously promoting the lightweight and high-end development of China’s automotive manufacturing industry.