Automobile parts

In the era of new energy vehicles, lightweighting is an unavoidable core challenge. For every 10% reduction in body weight, range can be improved by approximately 6%–8%. However, traditional metal parts have nearly reached their limit for weight reduction, making plasticization a primary direction of development. The question is: how can we incorporate more plastic parts into automobiles without compromising performance?

Horizontal stacked opposed-injection two-shot molding technology offers a highly instructive path forward.

The name of this technology sounds complex, but it becomes clear when broken down: "Stacked" means two moving molds are arranged back-to-back, with two parts molded simultaneously within a single mold set; "Opposed-injection" refers to injection units shooting horizontally from opposite sides of the mold, with hard resin and soft resin injected from each end respectively; "Two-shot" means the combination of two materials is completed in a single molding cycle—rigid plastic (e.g., PP-TD20) provides structural strength, while soft elastomer (e.g., TPE) handles sealing and vibration damping.

Its lightweighting value is realized in three dimensions.

First, replacing metal with plastic enables "structural weight reduction." Traditional automotive parts often consist of multiple metal components assembled via welding or bolts—heavy and structurally loose. Horizontal stacked opposed-injection technology allows multiple functional elements to be integrated into a single plastic part, achieving "integrated molding." For example, in new energy vehicle thermal management systems, a combination that previously required metal brackets, rubber seals, and multiple fasteners can now be replaced by a single two-shot molded part, directly reducing metal consumption.

Second, producing larger parts with smaller equipment. This is perhaps the most surprising value of this technology. Take a core component of a new energy vehicle thermal management system as an example: a conventional vertical rotary two-color machine would require a 1500T injection molding machine to produce a similar part, whereas the horizontal stacked opposed-injection solution reduces the required tonnage to just 600T—a reduction of over 50%. Lower equipment tonnage means proportional energy savings, indirectly reducing carbon emissions in the production process—a form of "manufacturing lightweighting" in itself.

Third, quality is lightweighting. The prerequisite for lightweighting is "no compromise on quality." If part strength is insufficient, weight reduction becomes meaningless. Horizontal stacked opposed-injection technology, through reverse engineering and finite element compensation techniques, achieves repeat positioning accuracy within ±0.01mm and product profile stability within 0.7mm. Meanwhile, combined with efficient conformal cooling systems and scientific closed-loop injection molding processes, the molding cycle is shortened to 40 seconds, with yield rates steadily exceeding 99.5%. High yield means fewer rejects and less rework—indirectly reducing the "weight cost" per product.

This technology has been successfully applied by global leading automotive parts suppliers such as Valeo and BYD, generating cumulative related sales revenue exceeding 18 million yuan over the past three years, while also breaking the technical monopoly of foreign manufacturers.

In summary, horizontal stacked opposed-injection two-shot molding provides a replicable technical solution for automotive lightweighting through three pathways: "replacing metal with plastic, downsizing equipment, and improving quality and efficiency." In the era of new energy and intelligent vehicles, this technology is reshaping molds from the "mother of industry" into the "engine of lightweighting."

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