Pioneering low weight innovations for car giant BMW and a cutting-edge, material step change by VW will be among the production efficiency and environmentally-friendly focused developments presented by Borealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, at the VDI.VDI is the 34th International Plastics in Automotive Engineering Congress in Mannheim, Germany from March 17-18, 2010.
“The VDI is an important meeting forum for the whole automotive value chain - comments Harald Hammer, Vice President for the business unit Mobility at Borealis. - At this year’s event we will focus on the results of our active commitment to support innovation by our customers. We will demonstrate how close cooperation and Borealis’ innovation and support capabilities lead to the development of unique materials designed to address the industry’s manufacturing, environmental and safety challenges.
Advances in Borealis’ XMOD glass reinforced polypropylene (PP) compounds, Nepol long glass fibre reinforced PPs and Daplen thermoplastic olefin (TPO) compounds are benefitting a wide range of interior, exterior and under-the-bonnet applications. Innovations featuring at VDI 2010 include:
BMW 7 Series dashboard carrier: a lightweight, recyclable alternative based on a tailor-made 20% long glass fibre Nepol grade. The new component offers up to 20% weight reduction with the excellent impact and mechanical performance of heavier alternatives, and lower systems costs through its better warpage behaviour and improved processing
VW Air Intake Manifold (AIM): high-performance XMOD GB306 is the auto industry’s first use of PP for this high tech application. It contributes to improved production cost-efficiency and lower overall production costs for AIM parts thanks to its lower processing temperatures and lighter weight/low density combination, which enable weight reductions of up to 15% and less energy usage. Significantly better acoustic performance and improved part recyclability are also achieved.
Borealis will also highlight its on-going investment in supply capabilities and partnerships to strengthen its on-the-ground support for the automotive market. These include new compounding sites, such as a 50,000 tonnes plant in China for automotive engineering plastics through Borealis’ joint venture Borouge, a plant in Itatiba, Brazil, manufacturing and supply agreements with affiliates of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and sales agents located around the world. The opening of Borealis’ Innovation Headquarters in Linz, Austria with its one-stop-shop of research and development support and pre-testing facilities, adds to Borealis’ ability to boost innovation capability and speed to market.
