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Replacing metal with polyamides (PA) in components can not only reduce weight and costs, but also offers developers greater design freedom. However, this requires materials with improved mechanical properties.

Special Polyamides 6 Match the Properties of Polyamide 66

Automotive

Polyamide

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Technische Kunststoffe

Metal Substitution with Improved PA

The non fossil fuel-based portfolio offers same high quality and performance for applications in all industries.

Gehäuse aus Kunststoff

Polyethylen

Polystyrol

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Standardkunststoffe

Polypropylen

Kunststoff

Kunststoff-Regenerate

Kunststofffasern

Kunststoff-Recycling

Borealis Launches Portfolio of Circular Polyolefins

The central issue in all polyurethane applications is the conversion from the past linear economy into a circular economy, and the use of sustainable raw materials in manufacturing. To do so, manufacturers are taking measures such as using bio-based raw materials, chemical recycling, and CO2 as a synthesis component. Digitalization, electromobility, autonomous driving and the construction industry are also driving PU development.

Polyurethane (PU)

Bauwesen

Bauchemie

Baustoffe

Polyurethan-Schaumstoffe (PUR)

Baubetrieb / Bauwirtschaft

Polyurethan

Windkraft

Sustainable Growth

Due to its high-performing properties polyetheretherketone thermoplastic polymer is being used more and more frequently in many products.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Elektronik-Fertigung

Polyetherketon

Mikroelektronik

Elektronik

Medizintechnik

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Medizinprodukte

Delivering Efficiency Even in  Harsh Environments

Styrenics can be polymerized using different technologies and it can be modified with a range of copolymers. The resulting plastics offer a wide range of properties allowing to customize them for different applications. Because of this range of properties they are suitable for many industries. Strong demand is for example driven by the automotive industry, healthcare and the packaging industry.

Styrenic Polymers

Verpackungsmaterial

Styrol-Copolymerisate

Diverse Shapes and Applications

Lightweight construction, functionality and design are characteristic of material development in all areas of application for PC compounds, composites and films. The range of materials has enormous opportunities when it comes to the mobility of the future, lightweight structural construction with continuous fiber-reinforced composites, 5G technology and medical technology.

Polycarbonate (PC)

Recycling

Polycarbonat

Present in a Multitude of Trends

Because of its good temperature resistance, impact resistance and aesthetics appearance, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene is often used in household goods and in the automotive industry. The development of a circular economy also shows successes.

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)

ABS / ASA-Kunststoffe

Threaded inserts ensure a secure connection of hybrid components. Under continuous load, effects can occur with thermoplastics due to pressure and temperature, which means that a durable screw connection is no longer guaranteed. Such effects can be prevented by thread inserts with a special surface structure.

Structuring of Surface Ensures Reliable Anchoring of Thread Inserts in Organic Sheets

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Reduced Settling Behavior in Multi Material Components

Touch-sensitive lighting modules that are the size of a palm and about as thin as a matchbox can create varying light mosaics thanks to digital control. The electronics behind this construction are situated in a flat plastic housing and are securely welded using laser technology for their protection.

Luminous Mosaics with Laser Welded Electronic Modules

Verbindungstechnik Verfahren

Verbindungstechnik

Laserschweißen

Laserschweißanlagen

Colors at Your Fingertips

In-mold labeling is the ideal solution for today’s customer requirements in the packaging industry. Companies need high-quality, durable machines with maximum availability that can produce a wide range of packaging designs with flexibility and economic cycle times. To implement such systems efficiently, Swiss specialty machine manufacturer Beck Automation implements PC-based control and drive technology from Beckhoff as its standard automation platform.

PC-Based Control in an In-Mold Labeling System Helps Decorate Plastic Lids

Spritzgießen

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

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

Servomotoren

As Flexible as Required

Housings not only protect the inner workings of medical equipment, but also protect patients from electric shocks, for example. This function is very important for the increasingly widespread medical wearables, which are often in constant contact with the patient. When designing such devices, it is therefore important to select the appropriate housing material.

Materials for Medical Wearable Housings

Protection and Attractive Design

Batteries in electric vehicles must be specially protected to counter the risk of fires. Battery trays made from aluminum frequently offer insufficient protection.

Underbody Protection for Batteries in Electric Vehicles

Polypropylen-Platten

Glasfasern / -matten

Elektromobilität

Aluminium

Polypropylene Beats Aluminum

The transformation from the combustion to the electric engine entails several imponderabilities for the plastics industry. In part, electric drives have completely different material requirements which are becoming specifically evident with the increasing use of appropriate vehicles.

Flame Retardancy, Heat and Tracking Resistance of Electric Vehicles

Elektromotoren

Elektronische Bauelemente

Leistungselektronik

Drivers of Electromobility

Harmoniously integrating displays into the lines of a vehicle cockpit has always been a real challenge. Continental now uses a combination of film insert molding, in-mold decoration and injection-compression molding to produce large, three-dimensionally formed plastic panels.

Large-Area Curved Plastic Panels with Integrated Displays

HMI, Bedienelemente, Displays

Display im Automobil

Thermoformanlagen

Automotive Display: A Matter of Form

Weight reduction is one of the major requirements of automotive components. Regardless of the vehicles in which they are used. One of the lightest materials that can be considered is polypropylene (PP).

PP Compounds for Automotive Lightweight Construction

Polypropylen-Compound

Easier to Reach the Destination

The voltage test of the comparative tracking index is limited to 600 V so far. In many areas the voltages increase, especially for electrical vehicles. Therefore, it is interesting to know what the real limits of isolating materials are. These are considerably higher. To test these, a modified test set-up is necessary.

Testing Isolating Materials above 600 V

Prüfen von Kunststoffen

Beyond the Limits of the Comparative Tracking Index

Currently, recyclates are in high demand, including the automotive industry. Previously, component suppliers had reservations about using recyclates in safety-related areas, because mechanical properties varied too widely. Now, materials producer JSP has developed an expanded polypropylene with 25 % recyclate content precisely for these application areas. But to ensure high quality, close cooperation with the recycling company is essential.

Circular Economy for Expanded Polypropylene (EPP)

Automotive Components  Made of Packaging

Mold breathing provides useful information about the processes that occur in the mold and the cavity. Mold-maker Schneider Form and injection molding machine-maker Engel have recognized the potential which this process variable offers and have worked intensively on it for several years, albeit by adopting different approaches. They recently carried out joint tests on bumper molds using a two-platen injection molding machine with a clamping force of 40,000 kN and then swapped experiences.

Comparative Methods for Determining Mold Breathing

Energiemanagement / Smart Home

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Druck- / Kraftsensoren

Spritzgießmaschinen

Using Breathing Signals for  Process Optimization

At the first glance, this year’s K was clearly focused on recycling and the circular economy. However, apart from these topics, many novelties were also exhibited in the classical plastics fields such as automotive. And many materials producers showed exciting new developments for electromobility in particular.

Automotive Trends at the K 2019

Streifinger, Florian

Verbände, Institutionen, Messen

Electromobility and a Concept Vehicle

The aesthetically and mechanically outstanding properties of styrene polymers are extensively enhanced by different blending partners. New developments include weather-resistant grades, laser surface structuring and fiber reinforcement. The newly founded “Styrenics Circular Solutions” industry association recently started a chemical recycling initiative for polystyrene.

Polystyrene and Copolymers Combine Aesthetics with Technical and Sustainable Properties

Polystyrol-Platten

Styrene Copolymers

The different thermal expansion of plastics compared with metals makes it difficult to design components that combine both materials. A new test procedure simulates in a time lapse the aging process of plastic-metal hybrid components when temperatures change. Using two contrasting test procedures, reliable information can be derived to assist in the designer.

Test Procedure for Durability of Metal Components that Have Been Injection-Overmolded with PPS

Putting Hybrid Components to the Test

The production costs for complex injection molded parts not only depend on material costs but also to a considerable extent on cycle time. The cycle time is divided into the injection, holding pressure, (residual) cooling phases and the tool movements. The cooling phase takes up 60 to 90 % of cycle time, depending on the particular plastic material and part component. Adequate cooling can therefore reduce not only cooling time but also cycle time.

Improving Conformal Cooling with Design, Simulation, and Processing Know-How

Werkzeug- und Formenbau

Konturnahe Kühlung

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Kühlelemente, aktive

Fine Channels, Maximum Efficiency

A Chinese supplier provides a number of international auto makers with high-quality long fiber-reinforced thermoplastics in pellet form. A key factor in this success has been the use of novel compounds and the development of custom material solutions. The company therefore invests heavily in research. When it came to producing the pellets on an industrial scale, it opted for German-made pultrusion technology.

Thermoplastics Converter in China Relies on LFT Technology from Germany

Pultrusion

Long Fiber-Reinforcement  for Automobiles