When the doors open on the 26th Fakuma in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from October 16 until 20, BASF will be showcasing its latest developments from its extensive portfolio. The international trade fair for plastics processing will see BASF experts discussing the current market trends in the automotive, lifestyle and industrial development sectors. Many new products and innovations will be presented at stand 4306 in hall B4.
Ultramid Deep Gloss now in color
The development of the specialty polyamide Ultramid Deep Gloss continues to make progress. After having been successfully launched on the market and winning the German Innovation Award, the product now turns from black to colorful. "In order to meet the individual needs of our customers, we are now also able to offer Ultramid Deep Gloss in colors. Apart from contrasting colors, we are also offering colors which follow current color trends. This opens up versatile possibilities for car interior design," said Xaver Hopfenspirger, project manager for Ultramid Deep Gloss at BASF. The excellent property profile remains unchanged: resistance to scratching, high chemical and good UV resistance. In addition, the high gloss level reproduces structures with faithful detail, thus allowing a highly contrasting mix of light and shadow - without additional coating.
High-performance materials for autonomous driving
Chemistry is making a vital contribution to the comfort and safety of autonomous driving. Sensors in the car are important in assisting the driver and are an indispensable part of the development of autonomous driving. Whether these are radar, lidar, IR or ultrasonic sensors, they function not only as lane assistants but also as collision warning systems and distance control, and assist with the emergency brake function - a basic prerequisite for controlling cars completely automatically in the future. With its broad range of products, such as the hydrolysis resistant polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) Ultradur HR and the polyamide (PA) Ultramid EQ for sensitive electronic applications, BASF is already contributing to a large number of sensor technologies and playing a valuable role in making autonomous driving a reality.
Engineering plastics and polyurethanes increase driving comfort
Automotive manufacturers are always keen to reduce the effects of non-suspended parts on the chassis and to protect the car occupants from disturbing bumps. Weight reduction, driving comfort, NVH solutions (NVH: Noise, Vibration, Harshness) - there is a wide range of requirements on chassis components. In order to allow automotive manufacturers to achieve the optimum combination of lightweight construction, pleasant acoustics and vibration damping, BASF provides NVH solutions made from the microcellular polyurethane elastomer Cellasto as well as the highly glass-fiber reinforced polyamide Ultramid and the thermoplastic polyurethane Elastollan. This results in efficient material combinations for top mounts, spring seats and other chassis components.
