Preview

NPE 2006, one of the world’s premier plastics exhibitions, will take place from June 19th to 23rd at McCormick Place in Chicago. The exhibition is held every three years and is one of major interest for those involved in plastics machinery, equipment, materials and services. At least 2,000 companies are expected to exhibit on more than 93,000 m2 of space. From fuel tanks to wire harness and from instrument panels to exciting new moulded windshields, virtually every current and developmental plastic component for vehicles will be represented by technologies on exhibit at the exposition. ....read more!

Sophisticated Mouldings
May we offer you an extra component?

Multi-component technology is an established special process for the cost-efficient manufacture of sophisticated mouldings in all areas of application. The automotive industry also features a number of multi-component injection moulded parts. Ferromatik Milacron in Malterdingen, Germany, offer solutions at NPE (Booths 1702 & 1715) which make it possible for processors to produce efficiently despite (or even precisely because of) a greater outlay in terms of technical expenditure. ....read more!

Headwork
PUR-CSM mixing head

To suit the specific requirements of PUR-CSM spraying techniques, Hennecke has developed the MN 10 mixhead. The term PUR-Composite Spray Moulding (PUR-CSM) represents various field-tested spraying techniques for the production of fibre-reinforced PU composites and so-called PU sandwich structures. ....read more!

Shaping not necessary
Ten years of Long-Fibre Injection (LFI)

Krauss-Maffei launched the LFI-PUR process at the K ‘95. For the first time, long glass fibres could be drenched with the polyurethane reaction mix directly in the mixing head. Since then over 50 LFI systems have been sold to customers around the world. ....read more!

Constant inside diameter
Projectile injection technology in series

Röchling Automotive has implemented the first series use of projectile injection technology (PIT) for plastic coolant pipes in the automotive industry. The advantages of PIT over gas (GIT) or water (WIT) injection technology are a constant inside diameter and less pressure loss along with thinner walls that weigh less and take up less space. Standard materials usually suffice. ....read more!

Repeatable Quality despite Uncontrollable Influences
Start-up of a production lines for the manufacture of SMC-parts

Successful start-up of three production lines has recently taken place at Inapal Plasticos in VW‘s industrial park Palmela 3, Portugal. Two fully automatic lines are destined for the manufacture of trunk lids from SMC (sheet moulding compound) for the new Eos convertible. The third line is used to produce underbody shields for Eos and Seat. ....read more!

Vehicle of the month:
Toyota Aygol

The purpose of this section which we feature in every edition of our magazine is to present the results of design analyses of vehicles recently launched on the automobile market.
This article was produced in collaboration with Mavel, a European leader in car design analysis. The aim of this article is not to present a detailed examination of a design (which is available in “Mavel’s report”) but rather to throw light on some noteworthy aspects.....read more!

Light and Resistant
Special coating for scratch-resistant and anti-reflective properties

Schott HiCotec has developed a special coating that makes plastic surfaces scratch-resistant and anti-reflective. It is possible to coat plastic materials that are popular in automotive design, such as polycarbonate and PMMA, with firmly adhering homogeneous coatings. ....read more!

Happy Attitude
Faurecia‘s new concept car

For automotive suppliers, the concept car is the perfect way of showcasing new ideas in terms of technical and design innovation in their real-life context. It is an effective method of stimulating a dialog on the real added-value delivered by these innovations, creating the desire to develop them. “Happy attitude” is an offshoot of the concept car Faurecia presented in 2004, which was based on the Toyota Yaris and was used to showcase work done on in-car lighting. ....read more!

Light weight under the hood
High temperature-resistant plastics are being used more and more in engine and gearbox production

Although the use of metal alloys for engines and gearboxes still tends to be the preferred option, nevertheless, high temperature-resistant plastics are playing an increasingly important role in manufacturing processes within the automotive industry. This has emerged from the new analysis ”Advances in High Temperature Plastics for Motors and Gears” carried out by Technical Insights, a division of the business consultancy Frost & Sullivan. ....read more!

And the winning number is Foure
Efficient technology for automotive interior parts

Four renowned companies along the value-added chain of plastic processing have joined forces and combined the multi-step production process for soft-touch parts used in the interior of automobiles, thereby creating a single-step process comprising injection moulding and foaming. The process will be called Dolphin and it allows the sandwich components used in automotive construction such as dashboards, centre consoles and glove compartments to be manufactured quickly and cost-effectively.
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Read more about several products for the automotive industry
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