“It is estimated that a weight reduction of 100kg over the average lifetime of a car (150,000 km) reduces consumption by 900 litres of fuel. If we consider the current fuel price to average €1.50 per litre, this amounts to a €1,350 saving for the vehicle owner,” he says.

The report highlights specific areas that are increasing their usage of JSP’s ARPRO-branded product, including seating systems, for example, where it can help reduce system mass by 25 to 35 percent (up to 10 kg). Its extremely high strength-to-weight ratio and ability to return to its original shape following dynamic stresses is particularly useful in safety applications enabling replacement of much heavier components.

“A 10 kg weight saving in a car that sells over 100,000 units annually and has a kerb weight of 1,200 kg is the equivalent of reducing the environmental impact of its

production by over 800 cars a year. On an average car that’s a reduction of over 20,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually”.

Dunnage, reusable shipping containers that shuttle automotive components back and forth between parts suppliers and OEMs, is also forecast to grow by 8 percent from 2007 to 2008. Investment in ARPRO dunnage for components can provide rapid payback by eliminating consumable materials, scrap and process costs. Dunnage use is also a much more sustainable solution for protecting parts in transit.

The report suggests that environmental pressures will drive further demand. Unlike some other materials, ARPRO is considered an environmentally-sound material. Manufacturing ARPRO requires no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or other compounds that are recognised as most damaging to the environment. Crucially, the product is 100 percent recyclable and as automotive manufacturers strive for mono-material parts that require less disassembly and sorting, the product has become a favoured material choice for an increased number of applications. Once recovered at end-of-life, it can be recycled or incinerated, the latter of which produces a high calorific value without harmful gas emissions.

The report also draws favourable comparison to other polymers. On a like-for-like packaging performance basis ARPRO performs between 30 percent and 60 percent better than EPS or other EPS/PPO/PPE blends. Safety critical parts made in ARPRO offer greater longevity of performance when compared to PC, ABS or rigid PU, that require replacement after a single impact. Performance demands can often be achieved with ARPRO at lower densities than other materials, thereby contributing further to weight and fuel savings.

The 2008 European Report is available now from JSP or can be downloaded from www.ARPRO.com.