When selecting materials for mirror bracket
Injection Molded Products, several factors need to be considered, such as mechanical properties (such as strength, durability, and wear resistance), environmental characteristics (such as temperature, humidity, UV stability), process characteristics (such as ductility, casting ability), and cost (such as weight, aesthetics, and color). In automotive applications, some factors that may be of significant importance when selecting materials include light weight, cost, and durability.
What material are the mirror mounts usually made of?
1. Engineering plastics:
Polycarbonate: High strength, high impact toughness, good dimensional stability and transparency it is used in brackets that are required to be transparent or semi-transparent.
ABS: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or abs is a copolymer material which blends the hardness of acrylonitrile, the toughness of butadiene and the easy process ability of styrene used for brackets with high impact strength and good mechanical properties.
Polyamide: It is has good abrasion resistance, strength and toughness, thus suitable for use as Plastic Parts mirror brackets exposed to mechanical stresses.
2. Metal materials:
Aluminum alloy: Commonly used in its origin of low density, high strength and good corrosion resistance, suitable for mirror mounting with light weight design.
Stainless steel: It has very high tensile, corrosion resistance and sound fatigue strength and it has high durability resistance against the environmental erosive factors.
Steel: Mild steel or commercial quality steel in cold rolled type has lower cost and higher strength, but may be susceptible to corrosion and thus needs protection.
Magnesium alloys: Lower density as compared to aluminum alloys, good strength coupled with high stiffness, but unfortunately these composites are expensive.
3. Composite materials:
Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP): Merges the flexibility of the plastic with high stiffness of fiberglass to produce mounts demanded to be stiff, and very lightweight.
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP): Less affirmed to GFRP that is better for standard uses or where a standard level of stiffness is desired or required, for instance for the support of racing car mirror or high specification model.
