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Plastics in Automotive
System solutions based on plastics reduce vehicle weight in the automobile industry and increase safety. In addition, they permit attractive designs for both the interior and exterior of automobiles.
The Peugeot 307 features a headlight bezel that consists of a PBT developed especially for this application (Photo: BASF)
This dossier contains current innovations involving plastic applications in the automotive sector.
106 Topic of article Plastics in Automotive
Kunststoffe international 2018/09, PAGE 65 - 70
New Polymers, Efficient Processes, and Advanced Parts for the Automotive Industry
Digitalization, electromobility, energy and resource efficiency are making their mark on future vehicles. These trends were also reflected...
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Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 21 - 24
Reducing Density and Part Weight via the Material without Altering Existing Processes
Lightweight is no longer just a matter of replacing metal. More and more often, plastics already in use are substituted by lighter weight...
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Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 16 - 20
A Newly Developed Plastic Film Expands the Field of Applications for Visible Lightweight Components in Vehicle Construction
Weight saving and design are playing an essential part in automobiles. In a joint project, the companies Fehrer Automotive and Senco...
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Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 25 - 28
With Illuminated Decorative Elements and Functional Properties, PMMA Is Shaping New Automotive Ideas
While car manufacturers are working on electric, autonomous, and connected vehicles, plastics producers are developing the appropriate...
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Evonik Performance Materials GmbH
Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 29 - 32
From the Prototype of the First Lithium-Ion Battery to Thermoplastics for Electrification
The change in drive-train technology from the conventional combustion engine to the electric drive poses a big challenge for car...
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Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 12 - 15
Vision Becomes Reality for Mass Production of Torsionally-Rigid CFRP Components
Steel, aluminum, magnesium and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics are combined in the new Audi A8 for a lighter weight, higher performing car...
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Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 37 - 38
Two-Component Rotary Table Machine Produces Two Million Connectors per Year for BMW Parking Assistance
In the production of an electronic parking aid, 8-pin connectors ensure a reliable connection between the cameras and the electronic...
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Kunststoffe international 2018/03, PAGE 33 - 36
Silicone-Based Thermal Interface Materials for Electric Vehicles
Efficient thermal management is needed for the drive batteries, electric motors and power electronics in electric vehicles. Due to their...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/10, PAGE 80 - 83
Primer Joins Metal and Plastic Components with Adhesive Bond
Plastic/metal hybrid structures for industrial applications have been established for years, e. g. for front-end carriers in automotive...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/09, PAGE 58 - 59
Fully Automated Cleaning of Scooping Components before Painting
Coating companies, who paint interior and exterior parts made of plastic for the automotive industry, have to meet high quality and...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/06-07, PAGE 51 - 54
Recycling of Plastic-Metal Composite Materials from Headlights
Rarely does a single material meet all automotive engineering requirements. Yet hybrid materials cannot be disassembled manually with...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/06-07, PAGE 6 - 7
Lighting Design for Automobile Interiors at the First Albis Automotive Lounge
Energy efficient, inexpensive LEDs are inspiring designers and engineers to develop new esthetic and functional applications of light....
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Kunststoffe international 2017/06-07, PAGE 14 - 16
Consequences and Opportunities for Plastics Processors Resulting from the Shift to Electromobility
The automotive industry is undergoing radical change and this will not be without consequences for the supply sectors as well. With this in...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/05, PAGE 53 - 56
Microsandwich Made from a Fiber-Reinforced PP Nonwoven and a PET Foam Core for Vehicle Interior Trim Components
The first series application of the lightweight material microsandwich in 2018 will reduce the weight of vehicle interior trim components...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/03, PAGE 40 - 42
Manufacturing 3D Ducts with Heat-Resistant Materials
3D blow molding can look back on a long development history. Today’s high-performance plastics make previously inconceivable automotive...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/03, PAGE 62 - 65
Recycling of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymers to Sustainable Pyrolysis Char Filler
Mineral fillers are widely used in the automotive industry to enhance the performance of polymer grades. A recycling concept has now been...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/03, PAGE 32 - 35
Optimizing Properties and Costs in the Production of Designer Engine Covers
Visible components in vehicle engine rooms increasingly have to satisfy not just technical requirements, but design expectations, too. An...
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Kunststoffe international 2017/03, PAGE 51 - 56
Automotive Subcontractor Eldisy Develops Solutions for an Overlooked Group of Parts
Is everything standardized in the automotive industry? Yes, but … complying with the standards involves a surprising amount of manual input...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/12, PAGE 43 - 45
DecoJect Process Combines In-Mold Graining with Injection Molding
Decorative films are increasingly replacing painting in order to flexibly combine a high quality surface finish of the vehicle interior...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/11, PAGE 54 - 57
Study of the Resistance of Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polyamides to Coolants
Applications under the hood in the automotive industry are characterized by strong temperature fluctuations and involve various media, such...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/09, PAGE 105 - 108
Sheet Molding Compounds Made with Secondary Carbon Fibers for Luxury Class Cars
Now, with suitable recycling technologies in place, the continuing research focuses mainly on re-using the reinforcement carbon fibers from...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/09, PAGE 134 - 136
A Steering Wheel Cover Produced with the DirectCoating Process Illustrates the Varied Design Possibilities for the Automobile Interior
The design versatility of a polyurethane coating on part surfaces, including metallic effects and a fine grain with matt and glossy...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/08, PAGE 62 - 64
Air Brake Pipes and Tank Breather Hose Made of Bio-Based Polyamide 6.10
Excellent performance properties combined with low environmental impact were the main requirements made on new polyamide 6.10 grades...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/03, PAGE 22 - 26
Torn between Economy, Ecology, Design and Legal Requirements
The perceived value of a car’s interior is increasingly informing consumers’ purchase decisions. Another contributory factor is waveguide...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/03, PAGE 18 - 21
Function-Integrated Lightweight Construction with Hybrid Yarn Textile Thermoplastic Composites
Hybrid yarn textile thermoplastic composites offer enormous potentials for highly integrated structural components with additional...
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Kunststoffe international 2016/03, PAGE 32 - 34
KraussMaffei Customer Takata Reduces Component Weight from 560 to 275 Grams
The FiberForm process developed by KraussMaffei combines the thermoforming of organic sheets and injection molding into one process. This...
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KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
Kunststoffe international 2016/03, PAGE 35 - 38
Highly Resilient Lightweight Components Produced from Organo Sheet
The processing of organo sheet into lightweight structural components featuring high strength and rigidity is now ready for standard series...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/10, PAGE 121 - 122
Wheel Chocks of Tailor-made Polyamide
Engineering plastics can replace metals in safety items of equipment. A tailor-made polyamide 66 compound for a newly developed wheel chock...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/09, PAGE 71 - 73
Components Made from Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Compounds
Edge trim of dry carbon-fiber fabric from automotive production can be spun into a highly engineered product. As a virgin fiber they can be...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/09, PAGE 66 - 67
Slashing the Weight and Costs of Parts Made from Talc-Filled Polypropylene
Combining a chemical blowing agent with special fibers as a highly efficient reinforcing additive for polypropylene enables the...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/08, PAGE 51 - 53
Cost-Effective, Heat-Resistant Polyamides
The automotive industry is driving innovation in materials development. Performance limits of parts and components are scaling ever greater...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/03, PAGE 25 - 27
Novel Thermoplastic Elastomer with Good Flow Behavior and High Surface Finish
Car windows can be framed more economically and more securely with a novel thermoplastic elastomer based on styrene block copolymers (TPS),...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/03, PAGE 32 - 34
Hehnke and Arburg Implement a Fully Automatic Facility with Integrated Stamping, Bending and Injection Molding
Over the past 20 years, Hehnke has developed from a two-man contract manufacturer to a high-volume vehicle component manufacturer. Where...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/03, PAGE 28 - 31
Outstanding Perceived Quality and High Functional Demands
The cockpit module of the new Jaguar F-Type must meet high demands. In particular, this involves the extreme loads on the dashboard during...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/03, PAGE 21 - 24
Translucent and Thermally Conductive Compounds for Automotive and E+E
A wide variety of tailor-made compounds are used in LED technology. Appropriately matched plastics and fillers are used to achieve...
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Kunststoffe international 2015/03, PAGE 35 - 36
Very Short Tack-Free Times Accelerate Processing during Foam Sealing
Newly developed two-component polyurethane foam systems for seals are reacting so fast that the foamed industrial parts can be seamlessly...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 8 - 14
Efficient material concepts are essential for the automobile of tomorrow. This requires closer cooperation of the entire plastics industry...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 16 - 19
Plastics constitute important design elements in vehicle manufacturing and are increasingly taking over the functions of other materials....
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 20 - 24
The electric car BMW i3 opens diverse application possibilities and perspectives to tailored plastics in the automotive industry. They...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 25 - 27
The use of natural fibers for interior components in the automotive industry is becoming increasingly important. In addition to sustainable...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 28 - 30
Exterior and interior automotive components become extremely hot in strong sunlight. To prevent this, plastic parts can be colored with...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 31 - 33
The design and construction of production facilities for manufacturing foam parts for vehicle seating has long been one of the more...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 34 - 35
High-grade plastic surfaces, e. g. of polypropylene, should exhibit the highest scratch resistance possible. This can be achieved by means...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 36 - 38
Progress in the so-called “Varysoft” process gives manufacturers and users of soft-touch components new horizons thanks to the swivel-plate...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 39 - 40
The production of eight million brake light switches annually is subject to its own set of priorities. Flexibility is less important here...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 41 - 46
Based on research results from the Transregio 30 special research area, it is illustrated how composites of self-reinforced semicrystalline...
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Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 47 - 51
The T-RTM process has been successfully applied as a B-pillar reinforcement made from a continuous fiber-reinforced plastic, utilizing a...
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BASF SE
Kunststoffe international 2014/03, PAGE 52 - 55
The newly developed surface RTM process allows fiberreinforced visible parts with paintable surfaces for automotive construction to be...
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KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
Kunststoffe international 2012/03, PAGE 25 - 28
To provide targeted support for the development of parts and molds, process simulation should be deployed at a very early stage in product...
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Kunststoffe international 2012/03, PAGE 30 - 35
Continuous fiber reinforced composites allow the automotive industry to achieve weight savings that were previously not possible. In...
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BASF SE
Kunststoffe international 2012/03, PAGE 39 - 41
They are not disposable products, there are no restrictions on their service life and they do not give rise to any technical weaknesses at...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/11, PAGE 13 - 15
Sequential Injection Molding with valve pin systems can be difficult to master in applications which entail long, narrow flow paths but...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/11, PAGE 24 - 27
This year’s IAA held from 15 thru 25 September in Frankfurt, Germany, reflected the paradigm shift in drive technology. Apart from the...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/11, PAGE 28 - 30
Thanks especially to sophisticated methods of calculation, such as integrative simulation, large oil pans for trucks can now be produced...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/11, PAGE 31 - 34
Future generations of vehicles are going to need new innovative solutions in order to ensure efficient performance improvements. With the...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/11, PAGE 46 - 47
Structured light projection permits surfaces to be inspected for waviness. The focus is on matt to moderately glossy surfaces, such as...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/11, PAGE 48 - 49
Coating systems applied by the RIM process provide protection for premium real wood trim parts and give plastic surfaces that individual...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/09, PAGE 26 - 29
Almost unnoticed, the high-pressure resin transfer molding (HPRTM) process is gradually gaining in importance for the production of...
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KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
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Kunststoffe international 2011/07, PAGE 6 - 7
Since 1998, Michelin, a French tire manufacturer, has organized the “Challenge Bibendum”, a forum devoted to sustainable road mobility....
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Kunststoffe international 2011/06, PAGE 19 - 23
Particularly in motor vehicle interiors, designers can give free rein to their creativity in order to serve the emotions of the car buyer....
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Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 39 - 43
It is well known that engineering plastics today have vital functions to fulfill, especially in the areas of weight reduction, performance...
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BASF SE
Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 51 - 54
New tasks lie ahead for polycarbonate films inside vehicles. The latest design ideas aim to create in the car interior a personalized,...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 55 - 57
The trend toward using slush skins in vehicle interiors continues apace. Advantages include a contourspecific reproduction of leather...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 58 - 61
Contrary to classical surface properties such as scratch resistance or glossiness, it is far more difficult to quantify haptic...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 65 - 68
Fabric-reinforced plastic parts are characterized by low weight, good mechanical properties and favorable crash behavior. A new...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 69 - 73
FIT-Hybrid is an efficient method for cost-effective production of lightweight fiber composite plastic parts with high-strength solid and...
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Kunststoffe international 2011/03, PAGE 74 - 76
A cable duct running between the inside rearview mirror and the headliner of a car needed to be produced so as to ensure improved...
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Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co.KG
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Kunststoffe international 2011/02, PAGE 38 - 40
The newly developed surface-treated calcined siliceous earth shows an outstanding performance profile in polyamide 66. Tests showed that,...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/11, PAGE 58 - 60
Organic composite sheet can be used instead of steel or aluminum to make hybrid composites that yield structural components which are even...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/11, PAGE 64 - 67
Low odor and emission long glass-fiber-reinforced PP compounds with excellent mechanical and processing properties are ideal materials for...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/11, PAGE 68 - 70
In-Mold Labeling with three three-dimensionally molded films and two plastic components for a part measuring 380 x 250 x 50 mm: A project...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/11, PAGE 71 - 73
Polycarbonate glazing can be produced in a combined process of injection molding and compression molding – a challenge for parts developers...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/06, PAGE 23 - 26
Production of the instrument panel of the new Audi A4 necessitated combining numerous processing techniques into a highly complex...
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KraussMaffei Extrusion GmbH
Kunststoffe international 2010/03, PAGE 34 - 37
Car interiors must have high-quality surfaces, because for many drivers the interior is the car’s living room. At the same time, high...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/03, PAGE 44 - 47
In the past 50 years, numerous metal parts in the engine compartment have been replaced with thermoplastic counterparts. The result is that...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/03, PAGE 53 - 55
Building ever lighter automobiles requires innovative solutions, such as the increasing use of hybrid components made from steel and...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/03, PAGE 56 - 58
The market for surface technology has been very active for many years. Almost every six months new developments are presented in the areas...
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Kunststoffe international 2010/03, PAGE 62 - 65
Plastic glazing and large decorative parts with high-gloss optics are one of the most attractive growth markets for plastics in the...
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KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
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Kunststoffe international 2009/11, PAGE 68 - 69
A new glassfiber-reinforced polypropylene is on the verge of raising the bars to unprecedented heights in the areas of savings in...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/11, PAGE 78 - 81
Structural foams, for example epoxy resin-based foams, used either alone or in combination with polyamide or light alloys, offer a...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/11, PAGE 82 - 85
Choosing the right material and component design is particularly critical for plastics destined for use under the hood. Materials in this...
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BASF SE
Kunststoffe international 2009/09, PAGE 8 - 9
At a customer symposium in Leverkusen, Germany, experts from Bayer MaterialScience and other companies provided information on the latest...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/09, PAGE 35 - 38
In Thueringen, Germany, a manufacturer of sandwich panels celebrated a world premier. A new technique makes it possible to treat large...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/09, PAGE 56 - 57
Thanks to its structure, customizable content of glass fibers and low density, a highly crystalline polypropylene compound possesses...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/07, PAGE 27
Injection molders will soon be able to freely define the thickness and geometry of a soft-touch foam layer. The technique is applied in a...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/07, PAGE 40 - 44
The example of a charge-air duct produced from newly developed polyphthalamide shows that suitable components can be manufactured and...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/07, PAGE 46 - 49
The high load-bearing capacity of E-LFT parts which have already been realized and a material behavior which can be readily numerically...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/06, PAGE 46 - 48
The way to cars of the future is paved with engineering plastics. Already, some 15 % of a new car in Europe is produced from polymers and...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/05, PAGE 45 - 47
Specially developed ABS/PMMA multi-layer composites can be more easily and cost effectively processed to the required shape with less...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/05, PAGE 50 - 54
There is now a growing trend towards the use of high-quality interior trim for small and mid-size vehicles as well. Newly developed...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 44 - 46
Which innovations in plastics will make automobiles fit for the future? Gudrun Klein, Kunststoffe’s editor in charge of plastics and...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 47 - 50
Automakers and suppliers are already working on new drive technologies such as fuel cells and electric drives. In the near future though...
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BASF SE
Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 51 - 53
Investigations of special polyamide 6 and 66 grades under near-real-world test conditions have shown that they exhibit good resistance to...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 56 - 59
Approximately half of the plastics employed in a vehicle are installed in automobile interiors. Innovative developments in materials and...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 63 - 66
A glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6, optimized especially for airbag housings, offers balanced properties over the whole range of...
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Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 67 - 68
A new glassfiber-reinforced polycarbonatesiloxane copolymer is revolutionizing the production and design of automotive steering wheels....
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Kunststoffe international 2009/03, PAGE 80 - 81
A relatively new process performs injection molding and reaction processing in one machine, and produces high-quality surfaces with...
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Kunststoffe international 2008/11, PAGE 59 - 62
Car engine oil pans were one of the last big domains that were still the preserve of metals. Now, the first ever plastic oil pan module is...
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Kunststoffe international 2008/11, PAGE 66 - 68
In automotive engineering, application of plastics for electrics and electronics applications is growing above average. This particularly...
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Kunststoffe international 2008/10, PAGE 110 - 112
Classic metal replacement continues to be a main driving force behind PPS. In combination with greater design creativity, the resulting...
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Kunststoffe international 2008/08, PAGE 54 - 56
BMC has great potential to replace metal parts. Its application advantages and favorable price make it the material of choice for...
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KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
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Kunststoffe international 2008/06, PAGE 74 - 76
It's like squaring the circle: Modern automobiles are expected to provide greater safety, comfort or performance, but at the same time cost...
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Kunststoffe international 2008/04, PAGE 36 - 38
Semi-crystalline thermoplastics are finding increasing use as the material of choice in applications that were previously reserved for...
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Rhodia GmbH Betriebsstätte Freiburg Rechnungsabteilung ESSC
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Kunststoffe international 2008/03, PAGE 35 - 37
Advanced features and more design freedom are currently the strongest trends in vehicle lighting systems. Newly developed thermoplastic...
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BASF SE
Kunststoffe international 2008/03, PAGE 54 - 57
Not only the interest of tuning experts has recently focused on design in the engine compartment. Previously, the most conspicuous element...
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Kunststoffe international 2008/03, PAGE 58 - 61
Add-on plastic parts, such as cylinder-head covers, are used in the engine compartment that frequently have to be viewed as a critical...
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