Why are car bumpers plastic?

Now many cars are the use of plastic bumper, we often talk about plastic bumper so soft, certainly not hit, especially after seeing some cars hit the bicycle bumper seriously concave material bumper. Not surprised to let the owner wonder whether the car enterprise and cut corners to save costs? Or the car to reduce weight?

We all know that the car before and after the bumper is based on metal materials, generally made of steel plate stamping, and the frame longitudinal riveted or welded together, and then was an international brand of car companies for the first time the use of plastic bumper, since then, this money-saving program quickly followed by major car companies.

So let's take a look at plastic bumpers today.

1. Based on pedestrian safety considerations

At the front of this area is the surface of the bumper, a smooth, soft plastic skin that can reduce the degree of injury to pedestrians who are hit. In the middle is a deformable plastic skeleton; Inside is a rigid metal skeleton, or anti-collision beam, which provides effective low-speed protection for the vehicle.

The idea is simple. If the same car, traveling at the same low speed (note, low speed, this kind of accident happens most often, high speed is out of the question), hits a pedestrian head-on. Imagine, if you were the one who got hit, would you want the bumper to be metal or plastic?

If you don't understand, try to find a metal or soft plastic blunt object to hit your head (dangerous movement, parental guidance required).

From the perspective of the whole body structure, the head is designed to be softer. The energy of frontal impact is absorbed by the deformation of the front, and the impact force is introduced into the floor structure through the longitudinal beam.

So in the end, the bumper material was replaced by plastic, also because metal is too harmful to pedestrians! Metal material due to the direct people "hard", no harm to the vehicle, but the pedestrian injury degree is great, and plastic material than metal has better absorption of collision capacity, to know that the money to repair the bumper and care for the injured spent compared to, certainly less.

2, based on the actual use of consideration, plastic bumper to save a lot of maintenance costs

Because most of the bumper is made of elastic material, it has good impact resistance. This means that generally small knock small touch, it can easily dissolve, and even if the paint off, the difficulty of spray painting is not big.

But if it is metal material, even small collisions also cost a lot, spray painting and sheet metal repair that more expensive everyone should understand it.

Another is that metal is easy to rust when it comes to water and air. Bumpers are also easy to be injured in daily driving. In this way, metal bumpers are easy to receive corrosion and rust, which affects the appearance, but plastic does not have to worry about this problem.

3. Plastic bumpers are easier to produce and fuel efficient

In fact, plastic bumper has many advantages. Undeniably, for auto companies, the most direct effect is to save manufacturing costs. The use of plastic bumper material does reduce the production cost of automobiles. In addition to high-strength materials for the body, many components will be made of materials that are as lightweight, corrosion-resistant, easy to process, easy to form, and easy to repair and replace as possible. And not only that, plastic bumpers can also protect the interests of consumers to a certain extent.

This is true of the front and rear bumpers, and some exterior parts, such as the fender, may also be made of lightweight materials such as plastic. Some top sports cars, of course, use a lot of carbon fiber instead of metal on the outside of the car for a simple purpose: lighter body, faster and safer braking, and better fuel economy.

Summarize：

Now you can probably understand why car bumpers are plastic... But don't think that makes cars less safe. The overall safety of the car, the overall coordination of the car, it's not that the harder the part, the safer the car.