Why Does Your Car Get Noisier Over Time? The Future Solution Lies in PEEK Materials

Why Does Automotive NVH Deteriorate Over Time?

Engine mounts, suspension ball joints, bearing bushings, differential gears... These parts have strict tolerances and lubrication when the car is new. However, long-term relative motion between metal-metal or metal-rubber pairs inevitably causes wear. Once clearances increase, impacts and slippage become more pronounced, amplifying noise and vibration.

Traditional mounts, vibration isolation pads and sealing strips are mostly made of rubber or ordinary engineering plastics. Over time, thermal-oxidative aging, UV aging and fluid erosion cause them to harden and crack, losing their energy absorption capacity. This leads to low-frequency rumble and high-frequency abnormal noise. Although this change occurs gradually, it results in stepwise deterioration in NVH performance. Experience shows that the NVH of most vehicles becomes noticeably degraded after 5 years of use.

The factory-applied grease on door hinges, sunroof slides, brake caliper guide pins and other parts oxidizes and separates oil over time, losing its lubrication and damping properties. This results in stick-slip friction noise (squeak) and impact noise (rattle).

As component stiffness decreases, gaps form and fits become loose, causing the vehicle's modal frequency to shift. Rotational speeds or vehicle speeds that previously did not cause resonance may now fall into the new resonance band, leading to annoying humming at specific speeds or on specific road surfaces.

What is PEEK? The "Golden Superhero" of Engineering Plastics

PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone) is a high-performance special engineering plastic with several key advantages:

*The above properties can be further enhanced through modification/reinforcement. Please contact our engineers for detailed information.

  These characteristics make it a new weapon for solving NVH "noise outbreaks".

PEEK如何给车辆“降噪减振”

How PEEK Reduces Noise and Vibration in Vehicles

New energy vehicle (NEV) motors often operate at speeds up to 15,000 rpm, several times higher than those of gasoline vehicles. Traditional metal-plastic bushings are prone to wear, causing electrical erosion and noise. PEEK bushings, with their high wear resistance, self-lubrication, high temperature resistance and high voltage resistance, maintain dimensional stability and effectively reduce noise and vibration. Moreover, glass fiber/carbon fiber reinforced PEEK allows precise tuning of stiffness, has much higher damping than metals, and does not age like other plastics or rubbers over the years.

Replacing components such as seat slide worms and door check stoppers in the cockpit system with PEEK materials provides high damping, low friction and self-lubrication. This reduces lubrication maintenance for automotive parts, lowers rotational inertia and improves response speed. Additionally, PEEK can be integrally molded, reducing processes and costs while avoiding loose fits caused by differences in expansion rates and friction coefficients between separate parts.

Using PEEK for vacuum pump vanes, hydraulic lifters and valve seats delivers better vibration and noise reduction than metal materials. PEEK maintains dimensional and performance stability at continuous 260°C and short-term 300°C, greatly reducing abnormal noise caused by high-temperature creep. Furthermore, PEEK has zero swelling in brake fluid and oil vapor, maintaining tight clearances and eliminating metal-on-metal noise, resulting in significant NVH improvement.

PEEK maintains mechanical strength at temperatures ranging from -40°C to 260°C (up to 300°C short-term), and is oil-resistant, high-pressure resistant and has extremely low water absorption and low friction coefficient. This allows PEEK to keep all equipment components stable under harsh environments and extreme operating conditions, reducing noise and abnormal noise caused by loosening and friction.

PEEK has a low dry friction coefficient and is self-lubricating, reducing friction-induced vibration and noise. It is 70% lighter than metal, which effectively improves response speed and reduces vibration during response. At the same time, PEEK has high rigidity and high compressive strength, and excellent dimensional stability at high temperatures, enabling it to easily handle various harsh operating conditions during vehicle driving.

The above are just a few examples. In fact, PEEK can be applied to more automotive components. It not only effectively reduces NVH, but also lowers weight and inertia, improves fuel efficiency, and enhances safety.

Want to learn more about Joinature’s ZYPEEK products and solutions, or request free samples? Contact our expert team today!