automotive | Interior/exterior
reduced by about 30%. Typically, a physically-foamed part would display a
compromised surface. The mirror-like finish achieved on the Arburg stand was made possible using a dynamic temperature control system developed by GWK. This superheats water to heat the surface of the mould cavity to or above the glass transition temperature of the PC prior to injection, then uses cold water to bring the part down to the demoulding temperature. Mould manufacturer Krallmann and J & F Krüth, which applied selective 3D laser texturing to the mould surface, were also involved in the project.
Above: This door panel with high gloss and laser engraved surfaces was in production on the Arburg stand at K2016 using the company’s ProFoam technology
Covestro materials were also on show at the Arburg
stand at K2016, where the machinery company was moulding a glove box cover with a high-gloss finish in Makrolon PC using its ProFoam process. This achieves a similar effect to Trexel’s MuCell technology except that the gas is not injected into the melted plastic in the injection machine barrel but mixed with the solid granules in a sealed feeding hopper. “In addition to the lightweight strategy of physical
foam moulding, which reduces density and thus component weight, we also deliberately took advan- tage of the opportunity to make process-related design modifications,” says Rainer Protte, Head of Special Injection Moulding Processes at Covestro’s Polycar- bonates Business Unit. Increasing nitrogen concentra- tion in the material reduces not only density but also melt viscosity, improving flow and so allowing a reduction in wall thickness. The combination of the two effects enabled the weight of the prototype to be
Click on the links for more information: ❙
www.lyondellbasell.com ❙
www.polykemi.se ❙
www.borealisgroup.com ❙
www.softergroup.com ❙
www.trinseo.com ❙
www.celanese.com ❙
www.sabic.com ❙
www.polyscope.eu ❙
www.ineos-styrolution.com ❙
www.elix-polymers.com ❙
www.evonik.com ❙
www.emsgrivory.com ❙
www.covestro.com ❙
www.technyl.com (Solvay) ❙
www.ascendmaterials.com ❙
www.albis.com ❙
www.engelglobal.com ❙
www.kraussmaffei.com ❙
www.arburg.com
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PHOTO: COVESTRO
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