[syadasti]

When do we see this new plastic in the cycling industry

The continued pursuit of adding lightness and cutting costs has led General Motors to a new material developed by Wilmington, Massachusetts company Quantum Leap Packaging. The liquid crystal polymer could be used in applications that traditionally require metal, including body panels. Plastics tend to have a larger coefficient of expansion, as anyone who's checked the door gaps on a Saturn SL1 will tell you, but this new material combines dimensional stability comparable to steel and strength on par with titanium.

Quantech, as the material is known, is similar to Kevlar and could be used for support brackets, body pieces, and even underhood parts where the weather's always warm. While resins and exotic materials are no bargain, the price of steel has been increasing too, which makes a better case for trying something new. A fast-track plan may see Quantech hitting production cars in six months, though the timeline could protract to two years if the vetting process reveals any challenges to overcome.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080917/ANA02/809179981/1182/rss02&rssfeed=rss02 subscription required

 

[w00dy]

That's pretty vague. Through all the marketing garbage all I read is that it's similar to Kevlar.

 

[syadasti]

Yeah I don't have a subscription to autonews.com and a glance at Quantum Leap Packaging's website did not show any in-depth Quantech information.

Who knows what it really is.

edit: website http://www.qlpkg.com/ (seems like they use it mostly for IC packaging, no mention of automotive or other applications)

QLP manufactures HermeTech™, the semiconductor industry's first plastic hermetic air cavity package meeting JEDEC standards. QLP achieved hermetic leak rates of 5x10-8 atm cc/s He or better and passed full Mil Spec reliability through a combination of its patented UltraSeal™ ultrasonic lid attach technology and its proprietary Quantech™ material.

UltraSeal™ is an ultrasonic lid attach process which delivers a robust hermetic seal while significantly reducing cycle time.

Quantech™ is a proprietary material that can be tailored to meet specific properties and performance requirements. Quantech™'s properties enable QLP to manufacture HermeTech™ QFNs that feature tailorable CTE, tailorable electrical properties, ultra-low moisture permeability, high temperature stability and excellent adhesion to metal.

QLP's packaging technology is built on a revolutionary material, Quantech™, engineering design, and proprietary process technology.

 

[syadasti]

Actually today they just posted a low density PR:

http://www.qlpkg.com/09_19_08.htm

Quantum Leap Packaging and the General Motors Corporation Co-Present "Revolutionary Polymer for Metal Replacement in Automotive Applications” at SPE Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition

WILMINGTON, MA - September 19, 2008 - Quantum Leap Packaging, Inc. (QLP), a leading provider of high performance materials for semiconductor assembly, co-presented with General Motors Corporation (GM) at the SPE Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition.

The paper titled, "Revolutionary Polymer for Metal Replacement in Automotive Applications” was coauthored by Dr. Mike Zimmerman of QLP, Charles Buehler and Dr. William Rogers of GM.

Charles Buehler and Dr. Mike Zimmerman jointly presented. Mr. Buehler, GM Materials Engineer, first presented automotive material needs such as low coefficient of expansion matching metals and high stiffness required for metal replacement and weight reduction in vehicles. Mr. Buehler discussed specific applications such as structural parts, support brackets, and high heat under-the-hood applications that require low weight, low expansion and gap control.

Dr. Zimmerman, CTO of QLP, then presented Quantech’s™ material properties and included data generated by GM. A comparison of Quantech’s™ material properties were made to steel, aluminum, magnesium and other polymers. The data showed significant advantages and demonstrated how Quantech™ is ideal for structural applications and metal replacement.

"Quantech™ is a new, innovative material”, said Mr. Buehler. "Quantech's™ unique properties such as low coefficient expansion and high stiffness are ideal for structural and metal replacement applications needed for weight reduction."

Quantech™ has very low coefficient of expansion, very close to steel and aluminum with a high amount of stiffness, yet the density is much lower allowing significant weight savings. According to GM the new Quantech™ parts could be in new cars within 6 months, depending on application.

According to David Grooms, CEO of QLP, “Metal replacement and lightweight materials are a critical need for the future of vehicle weight reduction, and ultimately the improvement in fuel efficiency. The automotive industry is aggressively investigating new materials to pursue this effort. This is a new market for QLP and represents excellent growth opportunities for our materials technology.”

About Quantum Leap Packaging

Quantum Leap Packaging, Inc. (QLP) is a material science company and a developer of enabling technologies. QLP's revolutionary material technology, Quantech™, solves critical thermal, stress and reliability issues faced in semiconductor assembly. QLP designs and manufactures high-performance hermetic and near-hermetic air cavity packages for applications such as Optical Electronic Systems, Image Sensors, HB-LEDs, MEMs, and High Power RF-Microwave assembly. QLP developed HermeTech™, the industry's first true plastic hermetic package, in a design and manufacturing breakthrough long sought by the industry. The breakthrough was made possible by QLP's innovative Quantech™ material, proprietary process technology and engineering design.