automotive | Interior/exterior
Right: Soon to be seen on
Europe’s roads, this Scania truck uses numerous
SABIC Stamax PP-LGF parts (Image: Peter Mapleston)
compounds is part of its “solutions” approach to the market. This approach is increasingly common among major polymer makers, resulting in a blurring of the line between them and independent compounders. Trinseo was not the only
major introducing new LFTs at the Dusseldorf show. Celanese introduced its Celstran high flow LFT, which is said to be specifically designed for parts with high mechanical require- ments. Grades are said to allow significantly thinner walls than other LFTs, with sectional thicknesses down to 1.0mm said to be possible. The SABIC stand at K was dominated by a giant
Scania truck that is due to hit the road very soon. “Trucks have been lagging behind cars in terms of developments to reduce emissions through weight reduction,” says V Umamaheswaran (UV), Director Global Marketing Automotive at the company. “But there is renewed attention on trucks now, especially as they are on the road for a lot longer and they use diesel engines. It has become critical for truck manufacturers to increase payload while taking weight out.” The new truck cab uses SABIC materials in some 30 different interior and exterior parts weighing a total of 140kg. These include Stamax PP LFTs as well as Xenoy
PC/PBT blends. SABIC’s UV also highlights the use of Stamax LFT for
Above: Ineos Styrolution claims its Luran S ASA can compete with PMMA in unpainted exterior trim applications
inner tailgate structures in automotive. “We have a long history of doing the exterior panels, but less so in the interior structure,” he says, pointing out the high level of functional integration now possible. “There has been a convergence: the industry has learnt how to design engineer with polyolefinic compounds, materials have advanced quite a bit, and we can offer a lot of technical support.” A tailgate on the SABIC stand also had a skin in Stamax, with a Class A finish.
Improving PP At styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) polymer producer Polyscope, Engineering Plastics Business Unit Director Ferdi Faas is convinced that SMA is still the best material for instrument panel carriers, but as the market has decided it can get by with lower-cost glass fibre reinforced polypropylene he says it is now developing a middle way, an “improved PP” modified with SMA. Faas says the new material has excellent
16 INJECTION WORLD | November/December 2016
dimensional stability, moulds well, and adheres to paint and polyurethane foam without the need for the surface treatment that is typically needed with unmodified PP. Polyscope has already had
some IP carriers produced in PP/SMA blends and Faas says that potential partners are “very enthusiastic” about it. “It’s part of our exploration to see how we can do more with SMA,” he says. Polyscope is hoping to be able to demon- strate an IP in the new material at the VDI-K
“Plastics in Automotive” congress in Mannheim, Germany, next March.
Styrenics shine Ineos Styrolution says that its Luran S ASA (acryloni- trile-styrene-acrylate)-based materials can compete head-on with PMMA in exterior pre-coloured parts that require no painting. Citing example parts such as high-gloss deep black winglets or pillars, Automotive Sales Director Christophe Ginss points out that Luran S has much higher flow and is also around 10% less dense. Styrolution also has two high temperature grades of
ABS. Novodur HH112 offers one of the highest Vicat B softening points for an ABS at 112°C, Ginss claims. It is suitable for parts such as rear light housings and dashboard components. Novodur Ultra 4255 is an ABS/ PC with a Vicat B of 111°C. That is lower than Novodur HH112 but comes with the advantage of remaining ductile down to -30°C, which Ginss says is important for interior applications. At K2016, the company demonstrated a laser-welda-
ble Novodur ABS based on its HH112 grade. “When you have transparent rear light covers, you need to be able to produce a very fine and clean weld line,” says Ginss. Laser welding allows this and is also faster than traditional welding methods. This resin grade is currently
This rear lamp module body is moulded in a new laser-weldable Novodur ABS from Ineos Styrolution
www.injectionworld.com
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