Atomic force microscopy can be used to determine various properties of polymer surfaces. However, until now it was still necessary to change the hardware on the probe for different measurement methods.

With the Tosca series, all AFM measurements can be carried out with only one actuator body and thus without hardware exchange

Characterize Plastic Surfaces More Easily with Atomic Force Microscopy

Messtechnik

Prüfen von Kunststoffen

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Polymethylmethacrylat

Thermoplaste

Measurements without  Hardware Exchange

The transition to electric cars is transforming automotive design. And so polymers producer Röhm has developed special polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) molding compounds with this in mind. These are sold under the company’s well-known Plexiglas brand. At Fakuma, the company will be demonstrating how they can be used to combine design requirements and functional properties.

Plexiglas Resist AG 100 is used, for example, in Volkswagen’s ID.3 electric vehicle

Automotive

Elektronik

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Messe Fakuma

kunststoffe-international.com

Technische Kunststoffe

Greater Design Freedom for Electric Cars

Röhm produces antimicrobial PMMA for transparent partitions.

Plexiglas XT Antimicrobial is an extruded sheet material with a special surface treatment on both sides. The coating contains a formulation that controls microbial growth

Platten

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Disease Protection by PMMA

The e.GO Life is an affordable electric car for short-range transport. Starting as a development project at the RWTH Aachen University campus, the first cars of this type were delivered in the middle of this year. For this car, the engineers use plastic panels for the vehicle’s body. The large-sized body panels are thermoformed by the plastics-processing company Parat in close collaboration with the plastic sheet manufacturer Senoplast.

All 59 plastic body panels of the e.GO Life electric vehicle were thermoformed very cost-effectively from semi-finished plastic products i. e. coextruded plastic sheets

59 Lightweight Components for the Body of the New Electric City Vehicle e.GO Life

Werkzeuge für Leichtbauwerkstoffe

Präzisionswerkzeuge

Leichtbau

Flachfolien- und Plattenextrusion

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Extrusion

Fahrzeugbau

Polycarbonat

Lightweight Construction

The global market for PMMA continues to benefit from an increasing demand, mainly from the construction and electronics industry as well as the automotive and transportation sector. However, continuing raw material bottlenecks have damped sales, which has also pushed up the price for PMMA.

Lower energy consumption, better plant growth: a company in the Netherlands builds functional greenhouses with the help of lens optics made of a Plexiglas PMMA molding compound

Growth through Diversity for Molding Compounds and Semifinished Products

Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

Lupine Lighting Systems manufactures extremely bright mountain bike lights with lenses made of Plexiglas. The molding compounds from Röhm meet the most important standards for e-bike and bicycle lighting.

A masterpiece of precision: UPT Optik in Nuremberg produces the lenses for Lupine in an injection molding process using the brand PMMA from Röhm. The material is unsurpassed in its transparency and light guiding properties

16:9

Technische Optik

Ingenieurwissenschaften

Optik

Photonik

Bright Lights with Precision Lenses Made from Plexiglas

The aim of this joint project is to develop a production cell in which a rear license plate light can be manufactured with hybrid processes without any additional steps such as bonding. Some of the necessary analyses and pre-testing of the material combinations resulting from the structure of the product – plastic housing and optics plus metal conductive tracks – are presented in this article.

Lighting  solutions on various products. 

Manufacture of a Rear License Plate Light in a Highly Integrated Production Cell

Spritzgießen

LED / OLED-Systeme und Faseroptik

Lichttechnik

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

What Is the Most Suitable  Material Combination?

Patient movements can severely affect the quality of MRI and CT images. A new approach detects the movements and subsequently incorporates them into the image evaluation by means of correction algorithms. This significantly improves the image quality. For the detection of the patient’s movements, the use of polymer optical fibers is suitable.

Polymer Optical Fibers Increase the Reliability of MRI Images

Fasern

Polyurethan

Medizintechnik

Lichtwellenleiter (LWL)

Elektromechanik

Kühlkörper

Motion Sensing Light Guides

Thanks to new technologies and together with other chemical derivatives the greenhouse gas CO2 can be converted into plastic precursors. Covestro is developing sustainable insulating materials for the construction sector based on this raw material.

Using innovative CO2 technology, Covestro already produces the CO2-based precursor cardyon, which is utilized in the manufacture of mattresses, sports flooring, textile fibers and components for vehicle interiors

Polyurethan-Schaumstoffe (PUR)

Baubetrieb / Bauwirtschaft

Dämmstoffe

Schaumstoffe und Vorprodukte

Using CO2 in Rigid Foam Insulation Boards

LyondellBasell starts commercial production of polymers using raw material derived from plastic waste at its Wesseling site.

The chemical company starts commercial production of polymers using raw material derived from plastic waste at Wesseling

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Polymers Made from Plastic Waste

Two European projects aim to advance the research and development of bio-based plastics in the European Union (EU) and thus protect nature and the environment from global plastic waste pollution.

Two European projects aim to advance the research and development of bio-based plastics in the European Union (EU)

Technik Trend

Nachhaltigkeit

Protecting Nature and Environment from Plastic Waste

With the microcellular technology, in which a foam structure is created in the polymer by environmentally friendly gases such as CO2 and N2, it is possible to reduce the packaging weight.

Eco-rPET tray produced with the new technology: lighter weight and less plastic consumption

Less Plastic for More Sustainable Packaging

For lightweight applications e. g. in automotive engineering BASF developed carbon fiber-reinforced polyphthalamide (PPA) grades with fillings of 20, 30 und 40 %.

The carbon fiber-reinforced PPA e. g. can replace aluminum and magnesium 

PPA Now with Carbon Fiber-Reinforcement

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Lightweight Metal Replacement

Teknor Apex presents three halogen-free FR glass-reinforced polyamide compounds with UL94 ratings of V0.

Application example: engine cover in the automotive industry

Polyamide

Glass-Reinforced and Halogen-Free Flame-Retardant

A new HDPE grade fills the space between unimodal and bimodal HDPE grades.

HDPE grade Paxon SP5504 offers good ESCR without compromising stiffness, impact, top load performance, or processability

Polyethylen

For Blow Molded Bottles and Containers

Zumtobel produces moisture-proof luminaires from Plexiglas molding compounds, the polymethyl methacrylate from Röhm.

Luminaires in industrial buildings are often exposed to dirt, humidity, extreme temperatures or even chemicals. The materials have to withstand all these impacts, as well as being break and shock-proof. Workplaces are also subject to complex requirements for light quality and illumination.

Zumtobel, an international provider of lighting solutions for commercial properties, developed its robust Amphibia moisture-proof luminaire for an extremely wide range of industrial applications. The long LED diffuser luminaire lights up factories, logistics centers, agricultural buildings, parking garages and much more. It is available in three versions, adapted to different areas of use. Zumtobel produces one of these, the Amphibia PM, from Plexiglas molding compounds, the brand polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) from Röhm.

“Our material meets the high standards needed for industrial lighting and also offers outstanding lighting properties,” says Andrea Fruth, Senior Product Manager Lighting, Extrusion, Optics in the Molding Compounds business unit of Röhm GmbH.

Diffuser and Housing Are Made from the Same Material

Both the housing and the diffuser of the Amphibia PM are made from the Plexiglas Resist zk5BR special molding compound. It is where the versatility of the highly transparent, impact-resistant material, which can also be equipped with diffuser particles for an opalescent look, really comes into its own.

“Our one-material concept for the housing and diffuser was unique when Amphibia was launched. It ensures optimum resistance throughout the luminaire’s entire lifespan,” explains Thibaut Escourrou, Global Product Manager at Zumtobel. The advantage of using the same material for the entire product is that everything has the same thermal expansion properties. This ensures that the luminaire remains watertight, even when exposed to significant fluctuations in temperature.

Its versatility is just one of the reasons why Zumtobel chose the PMMA. “We value Plexiglas Resist zk5BR for its very high transparency,” says Escourrou. “PMMA’s high UV resistance is also an advantage for luminaires used outdoors and in covered outdoor areas, such as in agricultural settings.” This is because the material’s integral UV protection allows Plexiglas to retain its optical properties permanently, without weather conditions causing it to become yellow or brittle, as stated in a press release.

Good Transparency and High Surface Reproduction Accuracy

Zumtobel’s experts have developed a range of light scenarios for the Amphibia series, tailored to various room dimensions and ceiling heights. For example, the luminaire can be equipped with very narrow beam angle optics for illuminating high-shelf logistics centers. According to Röhm, Plexiglas Resist zk5BR is extraordinarily transparent and combined with its high surface reproduction accuracy in injection molding, the special molding compound is ideal for high-precision optical components like this. In the Amphibia luminaires, linear microstructures at the bottom of the transparent cover guide the light to cover a deep or wide area, exactly as needed.

The lifespan of industrial lighting depends not only on the material’s resistance, but also on the product being able to withstand dirt and moisture and easy to clean. Designer Stefan Ambrosius and his development team therefore designed Amphibia’s geometry in such a way that as little dirt as possible adheres to it while water simply runs off the smooth surfaces and rounded edges. With its extremely robust housing, which keeps out all dust and water, the luminaire meets the requirements for the IP66 safety class and can withstand even the water jet from a pressure cleaner.

“The PMMA variant offers outstanding resistance against a large number of chemicals that are commonly used in food processing plants, including cleaning agents.” With its resistance to ammonia, Amphibia PM meets the international standards for the food industry and the standards of the German Agricultural Society for lighting in stables. With a temperature tolerance of –10°C to +35°C, it is also suitable for many other fields of use.

The Amphibia PM moisture-proof luminaire from Zumtobel is made using the Plexiglas Resist zk5BR special molding compound.

2022-03-02 Röhm

According to Röhm, Plexiglas Resist zk5BR displays maximum transparency and brilliance.

Both the housing and the diffuser of the Amphibia PM are made from Plexiglas Resist zk5BR. The highly transparent material is impact resistant and can be equipped with diffuser particles if desired to create an opalescent version.

Self-cleaning effect: Smooth surfaces and the geometry of the luminaire allow water to run off quickly without impairing the optics.

The housing is waterproof and resistant to many chemicals and cleaning agents.

Leuchten / Lichtmanagement

issue 03/2022

issue 02/2022

issue 01/2022

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