Unlocking the Potential of Plastic Parts

1. Introduction

In the fast-paced world of automotive design, plastic components are often perceived as simple commodities. However, as emphasized in A2MAC1’s April 10 webinar, “Unlocking the Potential of Plastic Parts,” these components are critical to innovation, cost control, sustainability, and competitive differentiation.

Led by George Iordache (Interior Insights Engineer), Halil Ozdemir (Technical Account Manager), and Miranda Jarvis (Sustainability & Carbon Footprint Specialist), the webinar provided a data-rich exploration of how plastic parts are reshaping automotive strategies both technically and economically.

2. Tools & Technologies: A2MAC1 Platform Products & Features.

The A2MAC1 platform supports automotive teams from concept through production:

• The Plastic Material Database, enabling searches across materials, geographies, and vehicle models
• 3D viewer: Offers in-depth, visual analysis of complex parts and their manufacturing processes.
• Interior & Exterior Master Section: Provides detailed data on materials such as plastics, fabrics, and composites.

These tools assist in evaluating design alternatives, identifying suppliers, and understanding CO₂ impact-helping customers make informed, data-driven decisions.

2.1. A2MAC1 Plastic Material Database.

Benchmarking plastic material components is a key step in making cost-savvy decisions. This has a direct impact on supplier selection and part cost-effectiveness. Our Plastic Material Database gives designers and sourcing teams detailed visibility into vehicle component materials, enabling better decisions from the start

2.2 Plastic Material Database via online 3D Viewer.

It allows users to view plastic parts in their context. Every part can be analyzed individually, thanks to detailed scanning. Users can take measurements and create section. This is especially useful for reverse engineering or validating concepts across different models. This environment is directly connected and validated by “physical” data. Geometries, mass, materials and images are all brought together in a collaborative environment.

2.3 Master Sections

Master Sections are standardized 2D cross-sections of physical parts and offer deeper, more detailed insights into material composition than the information provided by a vehicle teardown.

3. Plastic Business Case Analysis – Tesla Model Y 2023 vs BYD Seal 2023

When conducting a cost analysis of plastic parts, we consider several factors including material cost, production cost, manufacturing cost, overheads, and profit margins.

To ensure a precise estimate, we also take into account additional dimensions such as part complexity, tooling costs, CO₂ impact, and project resource requirements.

During the webinar, we compared and analyzed the following components of the Tesla Model Y and BYD Seal: front bumper, frunk, and seat cushion garnish (outer side).

Let’s focus as an example on the front bumper:

The radar chart reveals varying levels of complexity across different dimensions between the two vehicles. Our A2MAC1 data-driven algorithms for plastic part complexity define key factors such as tooling dimensions, tooling weight, tooling cost, CO₂ emissions, and part cost.

This information has a direct impact on supplier resource planning and selection for a given project. The A2MAC1 data-driven part complexity algorithm highlights the internal processes triggered when a Tier 1 supplier receives a request for quotation (RFQ) from a customer.

The supplier must gather input from various departments—such as purchasing, engineering, and testing—before responding with a detailed offer. Our algorithm supports suppliers in defining and refining this offer, making the process more efficient and data-informed.

4. Plastic Parts overview at vehicle level

We presented a vehicle-level comparison of plastic parts between the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Seal. The A2MAC1 part complexity algorithm enables a domain-to-domain analysis of the two vehicles, highlighting the number of plastic parts and providing a cost-per-vehicle breakdown.

BYD tends to develop a larger number of smaller plastic components, leading to higher tooling costs and increased overall weight. In contrast, Tesla favors a more minimalistic design approach, resulting in fewer parts and associated savings in tooling costs.

What are the benefits of A2MAC1 services? Our customers significantly reduce RFQ response times-from days to hours—by leveraging pre-built complexity assessments, cost and CO₂ estimates, and resource forecasts. This helps prevent overspending, enhances transparency and accountability, and accelerates development timelines.

Conclusion

The future of plastic component design lies in data-driven decision-making. With the right tools, manufacturers can:

• Optimize part design and cost
• Meet sustainability targets
• Improve overall efficiency

In an era defined by electrification and increasing environmental regulations, insights from A2MAC1 are not just helpful—they’re essential.

A2MAC1 regularly hosts webinars to demonstrate how its solutions help carmakers and suppliers shape the future of the automotive industry. Stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn to stay informed about upcoming webinars and events.

For more information, please contact us at: https://www.a2mac1.com/contact-us/