MATERIALS
Tougher standards drive new materials development
Demand for new materials remains strong in the automobile, coatings and paper manufacturing markets – driven largely by tougher regulatory requirements. Sean Ottewell reports.
La demande de nouveaux matériaux reste forte dans l’industrie automobile, du revêtement et de la production de papier. Selon Sean Ottewell.
Auf den Automobil-, Beschichtungs- und Papierherstellungsmärkten besteht weiterhin eine starke Nachfrage nach neuen Materialien – größtenteils gesteuert durch härtere regulatorische Bestimmungen. Sean Ottewell berichtet.
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rnitel PB500-H has been approved for use as both dirty and clean air ducts assembled on the 1.3 JTD
engines on the Fiat Group Automobiles platforms Fiat Minicargo and LANCIA Epsilon. Dirty air ducts convey the air before the air filter, whereas clean air ducts are situated in the engine between the air filter and the turbo-compressor. This new blow moulding grade of
Arnitel ThermoPlastic Copolyester (TPC) is particularly suited for blow moulding of complex shaped air duct applications in the automotive industry for use at continuous use temperatures (CUT) of 130°C. The new material was developed by DSM Engineering Plastics in conjunction with Fiat Group Automobiles and Tier 1 systems supplier Mecaplast. Arnitel PB500-H meets the Fiat Group
Automobiles technical requirements, whilst at the same time offering a cost advantage over current solutions. According to Fiat, with a hardness Shore D=50 Arnitel offers
new design freedom and a range of material properties that facilitate easy assembly and higher tolerances on the final design layout.
Complex shapes Ludovic Poix, Fiat project manager at Mecaplast, says: “Arnitel PB500-H offers good and stable processibility even in achieving complex shapes. The material delivers a superior smooth inner surface with no orange and/or ‘crocodile’ skin effects. We found it very flexible, over the whole temperature range of -40 up to 150°C. Moreover, Arnitel offers good weldability with PBT fittings/ couplings.” Paolo Rossi, Fiat business development
manager, explains: “Requirements for under the bonnet (UTB) applications are changing constantly. Environmental requirements, EURO V and VI legislation and the call for reduced fuel consumption have resulted in significant changes, for example the use of smaller and lighter engines with higher turbo pressures and exhaust gas recirculation. As a
Fig. 1. This Chinese-developed vehicle with an all-plastic front-end module uses SABIC Innovative Plastics’ STAMAX long glass fibre polypropylene.
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