MATERIALS | SHEET MATERIALS
IMAGE: ROEHM
impact resistance, shoe inserts and orthoses made from it are “virtually indestructible”. Its good thermoformability allows orthopaedic technicians to adapt the material to the anatomy – and, if needed, make alterations later. The transparency makes it easy to spot pressure points that need to be readjusted. Transparent Europlex O sheets are available in the size 2000 x 1250mm and thicknesses of 1.5 to 4.0mm. The material is on show at the Compamed exhibition in Germany in November.
Above: Roehm says that shoe inserts made from its Europlex O are light, comfort- able and
inconspicuous
companies, the focus goes beyond safety and functionality to include styling and visual appeal. The task was to find a material that combined good mechanical properties with low weight and a high degree of design flexibility. It also had to be sustainable, durable, easy to clean and certified according to EN 45545-2. Thanks to its high impact strength, dimensional stability and thermoformability, Simorail was chosen to make seat bases, side wall panels, covers and skirting boards for the tram. Compared to materials such as HPL or GRP, Simorail HL3 is recyclable and has higher visual appeal. Sheets can be produced in almost any colour and various textures. In addition, as a solid-coloured material, if offers advantages regarding the visibility of scratches – without the need for time-consuming painting and coating. The Tina project team also included three thermoforming companies: Durotherm, Lakowa and Swissplast.
Sheet for inserts Roehm says that its transparent orthopaedic sheet – called Europlex O – makes it easy to manufacture high-quality orthoses. The transparent material is aimed at manufactur- ing high-quality orthoses, shoe inserts and other orthopaedic aids. It is formable at low tempera- tures – using standard tools – while being very stable. It also has high chemical resistance and withstands both skincare products and sweat. “One major application advantage is
that Europlex O can be bent and moulded at temperatures as low as 90°C without pre-drying, while remaining more stable than many comparable materi- als,” said Christian Wacker, product manager at Roehm. Thanks to its high mechanical stability and
22 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | November 2023
Structural parts Sabic has introduced two new materials for sheet extrusion and thermoforming. It says its PP compound H1090 and Stamax 30YH611 offer an alternative to traditional sheet metal forming, compression and injection mould- ing – allowing customers to form large, complex structural parts. The products are 30% glass fibre-reinforced, intumescent, flame retardant (FR) materials, based on polypropylene (PP). They can be used for electric vehicle (EV) battery pack components such as top covers, enclosures and module separators. Both grades offer good thermal barrier properties to delay or contain thermal runaway propagation. In addition, their properties offer design, system
cost, inherent thermal and electrical insulation and weight advantages compared to stamped sheet metal, said Sabic. Compared to injection moulding of thermoplastics and compression moulding for thermosets – which require expensive tooling and equipment – extrusion and thermoforming can be more cost-effective and efficient for several cases, said Sabic. “By providing alternatives to traditional materi- als and processes, we can enable customers to design and manufacture the next generation of battery components while driving down costs and gaining a competitive advantage,” said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, general manager for ETP and market solutions at Sabic. The company has validated the mechanical, fire safety performance and manufacturability of both resins in EV battery applications with complex geometries – both
Left: Two new Sabic materials
can be used for parts such as EV
battery pack components
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IMAGE: SABIC
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