“In terms of market trends, electric vehicles will continue to be a major contributor to the changes that are taking place in the automotive sector. In other areas, technologies related to artificial intelligence, robotics and green technology will become increasingly important,” said Alberto Sessolo, General Manager of Radici Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

To cope with market demands, RadiciGroup has launched a series of innovative applications, including non-contact wireless car charging modules, high-performance polymers and EMC electromagnetic shielding solutions.

These innovations will benefit a wide range of applications in many sectors, including the automotive industry (such as the battery/motor/electric control of new energy vehicles, as well as the powertrain peripherals and shock absorption/chassis peripherals of traditional automobiles), the new energy industry (such as motors, photovoltaics and hydrogen energy), the home appliance industry (such as washing machines and dishwashers), the water treatment industry (such as floor heating and water pumps), and the electrical and electronics industry (such as terminals, power batteries, drive motors and electronic control systems).

The charging module application solution launched by RadiciGroup allows new energy vehicles to recharge via wireless charging.

New energy vehicles are still using charging guns as the main means of vehicle charging. Wireless charging, which transmits energy without the use of cables, is currently not mass-produced due to limitations in technological maturity and infrastructure. RadiciGroup has launched a charging module using wireless charging which efficiently solves the key drawback of cumbersome and heavy charging cables when charging new energy vehicles.

Besides, RadiciGroup is showcasing a full range of high-performance polymer PPA products, such as PA6T/PA6I/PA66, PA6T/XT/PA66, PA6T/PA66, PA6I/PA66, PA66/PA6T and PA66/PA6I, to meet customers’ requirements on different product designs and high temperature resistance.

On the other hand, new international standards have stipulated stringent requirements for high-voltage connectors, in which high-voltage connectors need to maintain high withstand voltage (>800V) while ensuring high-efficiency insulation performance (>200M ohm) and high strength.

According to David Qi, Strategic Marketing and Business Development Manager - Southeast Asia, Radici Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., the new generation of high-temperature orange-stabilized nylon and PBT materials developed by RadiciGroup can meet the stringent requirements of RAL2003 orange color stability at 130 degrees + 1000Hr, or even 150 degrees + 250Hr. “Currently the high temperature color stability on the market is only 90 degrees + 1000Hr,” he said.

As electric vehicles continue to grow in the automotive industry, more and more requirements on electromagnetic shielding have emerged, putting extremely high requirements on the research and development of materials. Qi said that the group has been developing materials to reduce costs and weight for customers. For this reason, the company is also displaying a full set of EMC electromagnetic shielding solutions.

Alberto Sessolo, General Manager of Radici Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

Apart from this, as carbon emission has become a focal point around the world, RadiciGroup has established a database which can calculate the carbon emission value of each product.

RadiciGroup pledges to continue to increase investment and R&D efforts in the Chinese market. Qi said that in addition to the new 60,000-ton production line in Xiangcheng District, Suzhou, the group has established a comprehensive CAE department in Suzhou last year to meet the pressing needs of customers in product design, product verification and local rapid development of materials.

The new CAE department offers development and verification of synchronous products at their initial stages, building of material CAE models, vibration simulation for a full set of product, as well as building and simulation of anisotropic material constitutive models (to evaluate potential risks in the manufacturing process prior to production).

With the COVID-19 pandemic under control and all relevant restrictions lifted in China, Sessolo believes that the market should gradually return to pre-pandemic levels. “The worst is behind us,” he said.

Yet the war in Ukraine has affected the global economy with some regions at risk of recession. “It is difficult to estimate how demand will change in 2023, but we should be moderately optimistic,” he said.

The new factory has enhanced the group’s production capacity and capabilities and although competition is fierce, Sessolo is sure that RadiciGroup is on the right track to increase its market share. “Apart from potential geopolitical tensions, it is important that the global economy returns to steady growth in the near future,” he said.

Booth: 17A101