Controlling the melt pressure inside
Enormous increase in production of arch liners for the VW Golf IV

Up to now, the injection profile has been wholly dependent on the injection unit used. Inside the mould the melt flow usually has been controlled by balancing the flow channel. But this well known and proven method reaches it’s limits and even fails when it comes to moulding with changing material features, family moulds and precision moulding. ....read more!

Interview with Rainer Vorköper, founder and Managing Director of Synventive Germany. ....read more!

LaserCusing makes its debut
Using laser energy to generate tool cores

Overcoming the laws of physics - or at least heat transmission - is a key factor when designing tools for auto parts. Drilling or milling holes to form cooling channels was a necessary part of the process. Now, however, cooling channels can be formed by sinter-fusing inserts. Effectively this means that the channels can be sited much closer to the component surface giving more uniform cooling of the moulded part, a particular advantage for parts with a complex geometry. The LaserCusing technique was developed in response to increasing demands from customers for innovative technology in the field of prototype construction, and this has driven the company’s engineers to optimise the process of selective laser sintering of metals. ....read more!

Reinforced PP
High-performance short glass fibre reinforced PP boost for automotive component productivity

Borealis, a supplier of polyolefins, has developed a high-performance short glass fibre reinforced (HPGF) polypropylene compound family with the technological and economic potential to replace long glass fibre (LGF) grades in high stress components used in automotive engineering applications. The company is marketing this product under the Xmod brand. ....read more!

Hybrid Construction Front Ends
New Adhesion Technology for increased rigidity and reduced weight

Against the background of plastics applications and adhesion technology, Dow Automotive has launched a prototype design for a plastic / metal hybrid front end system. ....read more!

Safety for the twinkling of an eye
Fully automatic manufacturing of air bag initiators

At this year‘s NPE, Battenfeld Injection Molding and Lifesparc, Hollister, CA/USA, were jointly presenting the fully automatic manufacture of air bag initiators on a Battenfeld Vertical R with a sophisticated automation system including peripheral equipment for downstream processing and finishing. ....read more!

Under the Weather
Material and Part Testing for the Long Haul

Designing and making a cost-effective plastic part is only the first step when it comes to automotive applications. How the part will perform in intense heat or cold or under the impact of rain and snow can be a different story. Durability testing is what Atlas Material Testing Solutions have specialized in for the last 85 years and having a solution for every possible testing requirement is what makes this company tick. ....read more!

Colour Selection Digitaltrix
On-line Colour Development for Designers

Matching designer colours with the look of plastic parts can be a daunting task at the best of times. Material and colour properties, surface finish, and lighting all play a role in the appearance of a particular colour. PolyOne Corporation of Avon Lake, OH/USA introduced the OnColor Virtual Color Technology System at the recent NPE in Chicago and your Polymotive team went for a test drive. ....read more!

Half the weight but equally good
Ultralight automotive parts with Ultratect foam

AC.S and Jacob Composite, both Wilhelmsdorf/Germany have developed and manufactured the first production part using Ultratect, a thermoplastic structural foam derived from BASF‘s high-temperature Ultrason E resin. The part concerned is found in the rear seat backrest on the new BMW M3 CSL. At 5.5 kilos, the new foam composite part is half the weight of the conventional steel structure, yet exhibits equally good crashworthiness and better vibrational dampening. ....read more!

Automated sealing of microfilter housings in 5 seconds cycle
The FIPFG process allows foaming contours of a highly diverse nature

The use of the FIPFG (formed in place foam gasket) process to apply sealant direct to the component reduces costs by comparison to the use of conventional sealing technology by shortening the production time and eliminating the need for storage. Thanks to a new automation concept, the BMW automotive supplier Seeber in Peine/Germany is now able to fit micro-filter housings fully automatically with a number of seals directly after injection moulding and then to go straight on to further processing without a break. ....read more!

Read more about several products for the automotive industry
....read more!