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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 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

Kunststoff

Kunststoff-Recycling

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

Polystyrol

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

In the production of plastic parts for the medical and pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for cleanroom environments are becoming increasingly stringent. In this area, not only the demand for all-electric injection molding machines is increasing. There is also an increasing use of electric drives for the implementation of mold movements, which meet the high requirements for cleanliness and reliability.

Electrical Drives in Injection Molds

Elektrische Antriebe

Spritzgießen

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Mess- / Regel- und Prozessleittechnik

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

Mold Technology

Plastic waste in the sea has been shaping the negative image of the industry for several years. Various initiatives and mergers of companies have therefore launched projects to tackle this Ocean-bound Plastics (OBP). Components made of OBP could become a symbol for a sustainable use of plastics.

Flame Retardant for Compounds Based on Recycled Ocean-Bound Plastics

Polybutylenterephthalat

Polyethylenterephthalat

Flammschutzmittel

Additive

From the Sea to Electronics

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

Interview with One of this Year’s Winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Dr Akira Yoshino

Interview with One of this Year’s Winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry,  Dr Akira Yoshino

Batterien

Elektromobilität

“Plastics Play a Key Role in  Lithium-Ion Batteries”

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

Aluminium

Polypropylen

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

Ambient lighting has captured the car interior – and facilitated orientation for the passengers. There is no need for anyone to fumble for the seat belt buckle in the dark in the Audi A7, as an integrated light guide shows the way. Kunststoff Helmbrechts produces the 3-component part and also developed the tool concept. The trick:  a so-called twin-turn tool which rotates on both sides. The company was awarded the GKV TecPart Innovation Prize for it at the K 2019.

Twin-Turn Tool Provides Solution to Production Problem with a Double Turn

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

KFZ-Zulieferer

Runway Lights for the Seat Belt

At the US location in Auborn Hills, Michigan, fischer automotive systems produces kinematic components for the center console of the Mercedes GLE class, which are equipped with a roller blind.

Flexible Turnkey System for Multi-Variant Roller Blinds

Montage

Industrieroboter

Industrieroboter klein

Montageeinrichtungen

Rattle-Free Part

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

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

A wide selection of decentralized drive technology with frequency inverters that can be individually adapted to any desired application and flexibly integrated into the plant field – this is what Nord Drivesystems is well known for. Thanks to their modular design, the inverters can be easily expanded and offer solutions for a wide range of application scenarios for automation networks in the age of industry 4.0.

Decentralized and Modular Drive Technology from Nord Is Equipped for the Digital Future

Smart Factory

Frequenzumrichter

Getriebemotoren

Förderanlagen und -geräte

Antriebselemente

Antriebstechnik

Industrie 4.0

Getriebe

The Key to an Automation Network

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.

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

Werkzeuge für Leichtbauwerkstoffe

Leichtbau

Flachfolien- und Plattenextrusion

Polymethylmethacrylat

Platten

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