For almost two decades, an expert committee, meeting once a year, has supported Kunststoffe magazine in determining the state of play in the plastics industry and identifying current technical developments. This time, the traditional spring meeting gave it an opportunity to debate the consequences of the Corona virus.

Taking new paths: during the Corona crisis, certain technical obstacles were also overcome by the Kunststoffe publisher advisory committee, who held a round table discussion by video conference for the first time. Present by video link were, among others, (top, from left) Dr. Guiscard Glück, Prof. Christian Hopmann (bottom, from left) Martin Würtele and Dr. Achim Eggert

16:9

Current Challenges and Options for Action in the Plastics Industry

Wirtschaftspolitik in Deutschland

Wirtschaft

Verpackungsmaterial

Logistik

Klotz, Karlhorst, Dr.

Internationale Wirtschaft

Verpackungsanlagen

Coilhandling

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Kunststoff-Verpackungsmaschine

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Sondermaschinen

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Medizintechnik

Starting up under the Shadow  of Corona

DSM Engineering Materials increases its high-performance materials production capacity at its Jiangyin plant in Jiangsu Province, China. Work on an additional compounding line began in February 2022, with completion expected in 2023.

DSM Engineering Materials expands its high-performance materials production capacity at its Jiangyin plant in Jiangsu Province, China.

Polyethylen

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

Polyamide

Production Expansion in China

The Chinese automotive manufacturer Geely will in the future use a polyamide 6 (PA6) from Lanxess for front-end (FE) carriers in its vehicles.

The front-end carrier for vehicles by the Chinese manufacturer Geely will be made of a PA6 from Lanxess in the future. © Lanxess

Kfz-Elektronik

Elektronik

Technische Kunststoffe

 PA for a Front-End Carrier

The materials manufacturer has set itself high targets for making production and products climate neutral.

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Energiemanagement

Energieeffizienz

Covestro Aims for Climate Neutrality

Vehicle weight reduction requirements today pose great challenges not only to automotive manufacturers and suppliers but also to material producers. The materials used must cut weight while at the same time withstanding the mechanical and chemical stresses encountered in service. This can be achieved, for example, with blends of polyamide and polypropylene. These blends also offer other useful advantages.

Fig. 4. Test bars after contact with a calcium chloride solution. The grey points indicate degradation. The bars made from the PA+PP blends show basically no degradation, unlike those made from PA.

Blends of PP and PA Reduce Weight and Improve Chemical Resistance

Blend

Polypropylen

Lighter Together

Most of the energy in a crash is absorbed by metal parts. A new additional polyamide (PA) crash absorber has for the first time been integrated into the front end of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The advantage is that an additional loadpath could be added without significantly increasing the mass of the car.  Close cooperation between the project partners and the use of suitable simulation tools were key to successful realization of this project.

As part of the safety concept in the front end of the latest S-Class, Mercedes-Benz uses a crash absorber made from polyamide.

Crash Absorbers made from PA for the Front End Carrier of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Kfz-Sicherheit, passiv

Kfz-Systeme

Kraftfahrzeugtechnik

Accident Protection with Plastics

Electric-vehicle makers looking for fresh impetus are turning to thermoplastics, as these can be used to  improve the safety, performance and sustainability of the vehicles. Initial application areas for manufacturers can be found in a multitude of components ranging from battery cases to busbars, cooling lines and seals. Things become very interesting when material suppliers offer support in the form of CAE and injection molding analyses.

Thermoplastics play an important role in the batteries of electric vehicles. They help to keep battery temperatures in the optimal range for a long service life and high performance. 

Improving the Performance of Electric Vehicles with the Right Materials

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Electric, Environmentally Friendly, Thermoplastic

The rising voltages in electric vehicles are creating higher requirements on insulation materials. This is why PEEK is increasingly used for this purpose. A problem with this high-performance polymer used to be its adhesion to the secondary insulation material. An epoxy resin now promises to solve the issue.

Due to higher voltages, manufacturers are increasingly using PEEK as insulation material for electric motors.

Partner for PEEK

Elektromotoren

Antriebe

Polyetherketon

Hochleistungskunststoffe

PEEK and Epoxy Provide Efficient Insulation for High Voltage E-Motor

The conditions in electric vehicles place high demands on the materials used. Therefore, automakers and suppliers must resort to expensive, high-performance plastics. For many applications, cost-effective alternatives are plastics whose properties have been greatly improved by means of treatment with high-energy electron beams.

Fig. 1. Crosslinked engineering plastics can be used for many different applications in electric vehicles.

Irradiation Crosslinking Replaces High-Performance Plastics with Cheaper Polymers

Strahlenvernetzung

Electron Booster for Electric Vehicles

For the successful implementation of electromobility, not only the vehicles but also the associated charging infrastructure play a decisive role. Various technologies are currently used to charge electric vehicles.

For the electronics of charging stations, Wevo offers temperature-stable adhesives and potting compounds based on silicone, epoxy resin and PU.

Silikone

Harze, Epoxid

Duroplaste

Polyurethan

Klebstoffe

Verbindungstechnik Verfahren

Chemisches Fügeverfahren

Protection of Sensitive Charging Electronics

Alternative powertrains, autonomous driving and the urge for more sustainability impact the vehicle design and driving experience.

 The USB connector system enables space saving of up to 60 %. The used PBT allows tight tolerances regardless of the ambient conditions.

Polybutylenterephthalat

Steckverbinder

Elektromechanik

Smaller, Faster, Lighter

The 35th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries, Chinaplas 2022, scheduled to be held from 25–28 April 2022 at National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai will be postponed.

Due to Covid Chinaplas 2022, scheduled to be held from 25–28 April 2022 at National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, will be postponed.

Verbände, Institutionen, Messen

Dienstleistungen

Postponement of the Fair Trade Show

Sabic presents a special blend that helps prevent unpleasant noise in automotive interiors. The new LNP Lubriloy N2000 compound, is based on polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and offers both molded-in color capability and paintability.

The new compound helps prevent buzz-squeak-rattle (BSR) noise in automotive interiors, such as mirror housings and trim, cupholders, button guides and heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) frames. © Sabic

ABS / ASA-Kunststoffe

Polycarbonat

Less Noise, More Design Freedom

JEC World 2022 will take place from May 03 to 05 in Paris Nord Villepinte with an interesting conference program.

The conferences program will be available for free to all registered participants, in two Agoras (Hall 5 and Hall 6) and also online via JEC World Connect.

Composite-Halbzeuge

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Anlagen zur Composite-Herstellung

Harzsysteme für Composite-Herstellung

Conferences Program

This year, for the first time, the SKZ is organizing the conference „Plastic Films in Mobility“. Kunststoffe international asked Dirk Pophusen, the conference director, about the new features and the highlights of the event.

The front module of the BMW iX is a highly integrated component. Among other things, foil technology is used for the manufacturing.

Folientechnik (IMD, IML, FIM, u.a.)

Spritzgießen

Streifinger, Florian

Folien

Films, BMW and China

Third “Automotive Interior Survey” Conducted

Easy-to-maintain and sustainable materials add value to customers.

In November 2021 Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese multinational company, conducted its third „Automotive Interior Survey“ together with Cologne, Germany-based market research institute Skoos in the four major automotive markets: the USA, Germany, China and Japan. 1,000 car users of varying income levels in each market responded to questions regarding their car purchasing behavior, understanding of automotive sustainability and preferences for the automotive interior. This survey supports the importance of Asahi Kasei’s Healthy Car Portfolio to help OEMs satisfy the needs of the end user.

Whether new or used, survey respondents prefer to continue to pursue ownership in the future. Car sharing or not having a car were not attractive options. 84% of car users in China prefer to buy, finance or lease a new car, and they are willing to spend an average of 31% more on their next car. With a 7% increase compared to the costs of their current car, the overall willingness of German car users to spend more money on their next car is significantly lower compared to the USA (+19%) and Japan (+10%). In addition, over half of car users prefer to purchase a new car over a used car.

Brand Loyalty is Still a Concern for OEMs

In addition, the results regarding brand loyalty confirm the findings of our surveys from 2019 and 2020, that consumers are willing to change brands quite easily. When it comes to purchasing a new car, on average only half of the car users in Germany would choose the same brand as the current car. However, while car users in the USA and Japan saw a similar trend to Germany, there was a stark contrast in China. In the world’s biggest automotive market 72% of car owners will consider a different car brand for their next purchase. These figures convey that a significant share of car users are not loyal to a single brand and must be convinced when shopping for their next car.

Cleanliness Continues to Play a Major Role in the Interior

While fuel/power consumption, drivetrain technology, running costs and driving performance remain as dominating decision factors, the interior design has been gaining importance in recent years. One of every two car users in the four main markets will take interior design into account for their next car purchase. With growing electrification and automation, it is expected that the interior will become the main differentiating factor in upcoming years, and its importance in the car purchasing process will further increase. A key finding of the first survey from 2019 showed that car users worldwide highly value the cleanliness inside their car. Also in 2021 64% of car users in Germany put a great emphasis on the cleanliness of their car, trumping intuitive operation (38%) and personalization (46%). A similar trend was seen in China (78%), Japan (72%) and USA (62%).

Car Users See High Benefit in Easy-to-maintain Surfaces

Whether it is a dirty floor, stains and scratches on the interior surfaces, or smell, the general understanding of cleanliness differs among the regions. While car users in China are clearly annoyed by “unpleasant odors” (48%) and the so-called “new car smell” (23%), the share of car users annoyed by these factors is significantly lower in the other regions. In contrast, “scratches on visible surfaces” are bothering one of every four car users in Germany (25%). This share has further increased compared to 2020 (21%). The same can be observed in the USA, with 29% of the car users being annoyed by scratches (2020: 19%). “Stains on fabrics” are also an annoyance factor for 30% of car users in Germany (2020: 26%) and 32% in the USA (2020: 26%). A major share in all regions sees a benefit in “water and dirt repellent surfaces,” with 74% in China, 70% in the USA, 65% in Japan and 63% in Germany. “Surface and seating materials that are easy to wash” was also in high regard, especially in the USA (81%) and in China (80%). Heiko Rother, General Manager Business Development Automotive at Asahi Kasei Europe, comments, “Cleanliness was highly valued by car users even before the pandemic. The last two years have further fueled this desire, and the definition of ‘cleanliness’ has broadened.” Mike Franchy, Director of North American Mobility at Asahi Kasei America, continues, “With the cost of vehicles increasing consumers have their vehicles longer and want surfaces that are highly durable, easy to clean and continue to look new over time. In addition, our Healthy Car portfolio of anti-microbial textiles and plastics, along with technology to ensure interior air quality, we have solutions for the OEMs to address these needs of the market.”

The findings of the survey show “Sustainability” is no longer only defined by the drivetrain technology, but also by the choice of materials. For example, roughly half of the car users in Germany, China and the USA characterize a sustainable car based on “materials made from highly recyclables”. In contrast, car users in Japan prioritized hybrid drivetrains to recyclables when characterizing sustainable automobiles. This growing awareness towards sustainability in automobiles is also reflected in the car user’s willingness to spend more money on a sustainable vehicle. In China, two out of three car users would pay more, in the USA and Japan every third, and in Germany every fourth. Heiko Rother concludes, “The definition and the perception of sustainability in automobiles is changing. Car users are looking more into the materials being used – electrification alone is not enough anymore. More sustainable interior surface materials that are also good-looking, durable, easy-to-maintain and clean will get more attention from car users. In the end, a ‘long-lasting’ material quality is being recognized as more sustainable.” Mike Franchy adds, “With our extensive product line of engineered plastics from Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, textiles from Sage Automotive Interiors and UVC technology from Crystal IS for interior air purification, we can collaborate with OEMs as a trusted partner to develop the interior functions and features the consumers demand.”

Asahi Kasei Corporation  

https://www.asaha-kasei.co.jp

Third “Automotive Interior Survey” shows: Easy-to-maintain and sustainable materials add value to customers.

2022-04-19 Asahi Kasei Studie

This survey is the global continuation of the “Asahi Kasei Europe Automotive Interior Survey” from 2019. To learn more about the past surveys please visit https://automotive.asahi-kasei.eu/stories-interior-story-2019/ https://automotive.asahi-kasei.eu/interior-story.