Yokohama Rubber: Reducing the weight of automotive air-conditioning hoses

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that it has succeeded in developing a material that significantly reduces the weight of automotive air-conditioning hoses. The company said that it is now accelerating the development of a commercial product and aims for a full market launch in 2024.

The new ultralight hose is made, according to Yokohama, from a rubber–resin polymer alloy developed by applying Yokohama Rubber’s proprietary technologies. The nature of the resin was not disclosed. This new alloy combines the flexibility and heat resistance of rubber with the high gas barrier properties of resin, and its use enabled Yokohama Rubber to reduce the hoses weight by 50 %. In addition, hoses made using this alloy do not need to be put through a vulcanization process that uses a large amount of heat. The new hoses will therefore contribute to the effort to achieve carbon neutrality. One of Yokohama Rubber’s strengths is its design and evaluation capabilities that enable it to integrate hoses and pipes in ways that respond to various customer requirements and piping layouts. The company plans to develop and promote all-resin piping to achieve a significant reduction in the weight of hose and pipe combinations. While continuing to develop a commercial version of this new lightweight hose, Yokohama Rubber also aims to enter the market for other types of automotive pipes.

The company said that the operating environment surrounding the automotive industry is entering a period of dramatic change being driven by the trends toward, CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & services, Electric), MaaS (Mobility as a Service) and  DX (Digital Transformation). In addition, countries around the world are accelerating decarbonization efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which is promoting a shift to next-generation environment-friendly vehicles. In this environment, reducing vehicle weight has become a key requirement for extending vehicle range and improving fuel efficiency. Accordingly, the need for lighter automotive parts is becoming even greater than before.

www.y-yokohama.com