Automotive

It is not the firs time in Zatec where we found this phenomenom known like Creep, a problem to bear in mind depending on some final applications. Like injection molding company of technical parts in engineering plastics located in Zaragoza(Spain), we help to our customers to chose the adequate raw material based on final requierements. As you can read as follows, we are going to explain you this problem of Creep.

Creep in plastic injection Sleeves

Sometimes, our plastic parts are subjected to constant strain during long time, and therefore, the deformation can increse up to break, even below the resistance of material.  Normally, we represent in a graph with deformation or strain based on time, according to tensile tests. A datum to bear in mind is the Young Modulus, very usefull for designers due to we can include this mentioned datum in ecuations of resistance materials or simulations about finite element method by computer to predict the behaviour during lifetime.

The raw material, composition and, obviously, the process of injection molding can influence in their properties, like creep. For example, some materials with glass fiber have a better behaviour for this phenomenom than other unreinforced materials, due to hardness. In fact, the most materials used in Zatec have a lot of content of glass fiber, but this tipe of reinforcement could generate a fragile fracture. By this reason, we must consider some extra additives like impact modifiers or conditioning the humidity in some higroscopyc poliamides, avoiding or minimizing the mentioned fracture, being ductile fracture instead of fragile fracture.

Creep in Brackets, Frames…

The failure in plastic part could be by excessive deformation and due to formation of cracks. Therefore we will have a non-functional piece.  The cracks can appear like an asnwer by applied stress, internal or external overcoming the intermolecular links like hydrogen or Van der Waals forces.

Some typical example is the break around of groves, where the final customer apply a force in screw due to tightening torque in the final assembly. Anyway the break could generates some time after.

Therefore, we can say like final conclusion, the creep is a combination of several factors that we must analyze before in the design phase to avoid the break by Creep.

Unfortunately, today is very difficult to talk without saying the word of COVID-19. Despiste of this, laying aside the santitary situation, where we do not pretend deepen now(although we understand this is the most important), but obviously we must to take a conscience of near future based on this eventually moment, due to automotive market has changed dramatically in few time, affecting to all supply chain, since OEM to final Tier-n company.

Sector Automoción-imagen de intermpresas.net

This year 2020 it already was complicated and strange. Zatec like injection molding company of technical parts in engineering plastics for automotive(mainly), we are seeing each day too many bad news about the stop in the manufacture industry in Spain, there is much uncertainty about the come back to the work in OEMs companies without a clear date. Anyway in ZATEC we will try to be optimistic, because we are looking to return with relative normality and with more force than before based on adequate safety measures, analyzing the current situation:

The pause in the production of several OEMs at national level(we can say global, in multinational companies), affecting to Tier1 companies, where the common is to cancel or postponed the ongoing orders, and therefore this situation generates more uncertainty increasing the “snow ball” kwnown like crisis, rolling down to the next companie in the supply chain. Logically, to avoid the quick spread of virus.

Almost all Tier1 companies have stopped their manufacturing process, many of them wihout previous advise, therefore there are several parts in transit wihout possibility to download up to new message or several orders in injection machines, but these parts cannot be sent. This is more stock, which we do not know what will be the date of delivery.

Talking about stocks, car dealers will decrease their sales. The reason is simple, the people will spend less money or spend the money in other things based on Maslow’s pyramide.  Besides there is the battle betwwen electrical car versus Diesel cars, but this is not the adequate moment to open other debate.

All of this mix implies as follows, if the company does not invoice or the payment terms with their customers are very stifling, the companies will be problems with cash flow. Therefore this is an important value to take in count at this moment, and it would be necessary an action from government to promote this sector or others. As you know, everything is connected. By this reason, this mentioned action from government must be available first for Little and Medium companies, preserving the business fabric. The last crisis began wiht a financial collapse but now we think there is still margin to act.

Anyway, we already working thinking  to return with a relative normal activity based on preventive safety plan. This is an oportunity to improve in all departments, adapting our work according to new situation.

We want to communicate you, the technical and sales areas continue at your disposal with a know-how of more than 25 years of expertise in injection molding, collaborating with customers since deign phase to serial plastic part.

Today is the star theme in the Tv news with current alarm state communicated by the Spanish Government.

Several weeks ago, we saw this situation far away in China and his quick spread have been the same in Spain or even further. In Zatec we read each day bad news due to temporal closure of companies, mainly in automotive market due to mentioned COVID-19.

Internally in ZATEC, we have taken several safety measures and continue analyzing future proposals from workers to avoid, if it is possible, the quick spread, keeping the security in our facility:

• Maximum 3 workers in each costume (male and female), to respect the minimum distance between workers of aboout 1 meter in the change of shift.
• Maximum 1 worker in the break cofee area.
• Of course,  clean the hand with soap more times than usual. Mainly after/before clocking in.
• More cleanliness in switches, handles, knobs….
• To use glovees according to each workstation.
• Flexibility in the shifts, prioritizing the workers with sons and dependent family members.
• There will be not visits,  from Zatec to Customers/suppliers and from out to Zatec. Except to in execptional cases like repairs with the adequate safety measures.
• The last point is very important to transporters. The drivers must not enter to warehouse.
• Bear in mind the possibility to work from house with portable PC in depending on some cases like office.
• …

Anyway, besides of sanitary point of view, that obviously this is the most important, this situation COVID-19 is producing an elevated economical impact in the industry. In fact, there iare some examples in automotive like Seat, VW, Nissan, PSA, Ford, Mercedes… and therefore several companies like Tier-1 1, similar than a house of cards  which is collapsing. Everything is connected.   This is a chain.  Nevertheless in Zatec we continue working 24 hours/ 5 days per week due to we have not positive cases of Covid-19 and we hace still customers working despite of this complicated situation. They need our plastic components of injection molding but we understand this situation could be different tomorrow, waiting the next news about this pandemic.

By this reason we are evaluating our situation in each moment to analyze the best option for our customers and workers day to day.

There are a lot of type of customers, and the critical point at this moment is the direct communicationin both directions to help us like “partners” and not only like acomercial relationship.  Sometimes, there are plastic parts in the transport without posibility to download in the destination due to temporal closure of some companies and this is other unnecesary extra problem. We expect this situation finished as soon as possible but we understand there is a long way to walk, yet. Then, we will adapt at this new moment, and we will continue working to improve and supplying plastic parts of injection molding for different markets like Automotive, being more flexibles in our production based on our know how.

We wish you good healthy to enjoy of working again, with at least relative normality.

Las empresas del Clúster de Automoción de Aragón (CAAR) aumentaron en 2015 un 15% su facturación, superando por primera vez la barrera de los 2.000 millones de euros e incrementando un 9% sus cifras de empleo, con la creación de 700 nuevos puestos de trabajo. En total, suman más de 8.000, según los datos presentados al registro.

Para 2016, y de acuerdo con las previsiones que manejan las empresas (pendiente del cierre del ejercicio económico), el Clúster estima un crecimiento similar que permitirá alcanzar los 2.300 millones de euros en ventas y acercarse a los 8.700 empleos. La evolución de las principales magnitudes económicas de la entidad y estas cifras, fiel reflejo del dinamismo del sector automoción aragonés, han sido dadas a conocer en el trascurso de la Asamblea general que ha celebrado el CAAR por su presidente, Benito Tesier y por su gerente, David Romeral.

En palabras de Benito Tesier, presidente de CAAR “lo que en 2014 nació como una idea, como un eslogan -el nuevo hub (núcleo) del sector de automoción en el Sur de Europa- se está convirtiendo en una realidad gracias al esfuerzo y al sacrificio de todos aquellos que forman parte del sector: empresas, trabajadores, centros tecnológicos, administraciones y universidad”. De hecho, en la realización del nuevo plan estratégico de CAAR 2016 – 2019 se ha incorporado como uno de los nuevos objetivos estratégicos la consolidación de Aragón como centro neurálgico del Sur de Europa para el sector de automoción.

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