The topic of high-performance compounds consists of far more than PEEK and Co. Every designer who is looking for new ways to replace metal, for example - whether for reasons of weight or corrosion - must be aware that, as an innovative pioneer, he is embarking on "winding paths full of stumbling blocks". This article is intended to show what needs to be taken into account to ensure that development projects with high-performance compounds are successful.

Lightweight design with plastics is the art of reconciling a wide range of requirements. Demands on the material, the design, the functional integration, the total cost of ownership, the component performance ... the list is long. In order to achieve an effective cost-performance ratio, it is advisable for the material itself to be highly modifiable - in such a way that it gives the designer free rein to think in any direction (for example, to decouple the typical dependence of the property on the processing orientation). Or, to put it another way, if the compounder masters the anisotropies of the material to a degree that enables the designer to come up with a perfectly adapted design for the function of his component. These four examples from the aerospace, mechanical engineering and sporting goods sectors clearly show the directions in which this can go: