A new era begins
Interview with John Galt, Vice President Operations and COO of Husky

At the end of January Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. announced that its Board of Directors had selected John Galt to succeed Robert Schad, founder of the company, as President and Chief Executive Officer. John Galt is currently Vice President Operations and Chief Operating Officer (COO). The appointment of Galt follows Robert Schad’s recent announcement of his intention to retire within the year. PETplanet’s publisher Alexander Büchler and North American correspondent Ottmar Brandau spoke to John Galt about his plans and Husky’s future direction. ....read more!

Magnesium Moulding - a Hot Issue
Magna goes Thixo

Recently Magna decided to invest into Thixo technology and has created a new company (G-Mag International Inc.), which will devote itself solely to this technology. Polymotive spoke with the Thixo team to find out more about this venture. ....read more!

High quality surfaces with no post-mould processing
Seat trim for luxury class vehicles

With the SkinForm process, thermoplastic injection moulding can be combined with PU coating in one and the same machine. The result is a cost-competitive one-step process that produces parts with attractive haptics and high scratch resistance. The advantage of the new process is the elimination of downstream processing. ....read more!

French Interior
PP for PSA

It takes time to get through the mountains of material we brought back from the K fair 2004. As usual, we’ve saved the best for last, or at least a little later. Here’s a tasty little morsel about the types of PP that Exxon in France sent to the (car) races!....read more!

Have a Seat!
Study of an extrusion blow moulded single rear seatback

Dow Automotive presented quite a few new materials and applications at the VDI-K conference in Mannheim/Germany. One of the most impressive new applications on show was a study of extrusion blow moulded seatback solutions made of PC/ABS. ....read more!

Under the roof
Weber produces an interior roof console for the VW Golf Plus

For the first time ever, storage capacity is to be created in the ceiling of the VW Golf Plus. For this, Volkswagen consulted experienced kinematics specialists, Weber, based in Dillenburg/Germany, a long-standing supplier to VW of kinematics
modules and components. ....read more!

Special Appeal
PP for the Skoda Octavia

Within the framework of the VDI congress in Mannheim/Germany the global plastics manufacturer Sabic Europe BV presented Skoda and Audi applications made from Sabic polypropylene as well as the Customized Solution process. ....read more!

Which Polyamide?
PA for under-bonnet applications

Key benefits of PA use under the bonnet include high heat resistance, design freedom and light weight. However, selecting the most effective PA for specific applications is complex. More power is being forced into less space, bringing heat generating parts closer together - just when regulatory demands are raising temperatures. ....read more!

Quiet, quieter, quietest
Reducing driving noise

The level of driving noise can affect the level of comfort in a vehicle significantly. Driving noise creates a significant disturbance for passengers especially in rain and wet weather. Automotive manufacturers are therefore continually working together with their suppliers in order to shelter the passenger compartment from the various types of aerodynamic and mechanical driving noise. ....read more!

Proof against the elements
Polyurethane coatings in the car – decorative and protective

Sun, rain and dust are the natural foes of car coatings. Polyurethane-based lacquer systems are designed to maintain the brilliance of the car lacquer year after year and make it resistant to undesirable environmental influences. PUR-based coating systems are also increasingly finding applications in the interior of the car, protecting car parts from damaging reactions to UV radiation and extreme temperatures. ....read more!

Two on One
Double-station machine makes two different parts

The 3D-technologies for flash-free or low-flash extrusion blow moulding of three-dimensional bent pipes are well established today. The Italian Tier1 supplier Cornaglia of Beinasco recently installed their fifth horizontal blow moulding machine K3D HP of Kautex Maschinenbau,
Bonn/Germany. ....read more!

Polymers for the bubble vehicle
Kelvx resin supports the future of green motoring

Innovation within the plastics sector is shown once more with the “Osmose City Car”. This concept for an environmentally-friendly, electrically-powered urban 2-seat vehicle makes comprehensive use of Kelvx thermoplastic resin from the Eastman Chemical Company, because of its easy processability, design freedom and to help reduce weight and cost. ....read more!

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