Automotive industry profits from innovative compounds made by KRAIBURG TPE

Waldkraiburg, August 18, 2009. Quicker manufacture, streamlined processes and reduced costs. Compounds by KRAIBURG TPE open new production options for carmakers. To name just one example, many manufacturers are already capitalizing on the advantages offered by the TPE-S series from KRAIBURG TPE. The most recent examples are the windshield gaskets for the new BMW 7 series and the BMW 3 series convertible. The Bavarian carmaker is also using compounds from KRAIBURG TPE for other exterior applications, and has optimized manufacturing by doing so. Recognition was not long in coming. In June 2009 the trunk-mounted spoiler for the BMW 5 series Gran Tourismo assembled at the BMW Plant in Landshut was awarded the coveted Grand Innovation Award, presented by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Central Europe. Using TPE made it possible for BMW to launch a new manufacturing process. Thanks to the excellent adhesive properties, the outer skin of the component and the associated substructure can be made up simultaneously by injection molding and permanently bonded together.
This eliminates a separate bonding step.

Superb properties: TPE-S by KRAIBURG TPE

In vehicle engineering this type of windshield gasket offers reliable sealing and ideal noise absorption while serving as a compensating “buffer” between the glass and the steel body. KRAIBURG TPE developed the TPE-S series, within the THERMOLAST®-K product group, especially for the automotive industry. Thanks to its superb properties in regard to both the materials themselves and their processing properties, they offer an attractive alternative to conventional plastics. Their excellent bonding with special adhesives make it possible to join the TPE-S compounds directly with the glass in single-component overmolding. This quick and cost-efficient process runs at temperatures of up to 250 degrees Celsius. What’s more, the TPEs need not be pre-dried and they cool down quickly after injection. Both factors significantly shorten manufacturing cycles. The TPE-S resins offer a further advantage in terms of safety. Glass exhibits greater dimensional tolerances than steel so that the thickness, width and length can vary. This makes for more critical conditions both when inserting the glass in the mold and during overmolding itself, during which the pressure has to be kept uniform. In comparison with conventional TPEs and PVC, the KRAIBURG TPE compounds, due to their far better flow properties, require lower injection pressure than traditional TPEs or PVC and that reduces the probability of glass breakage.
In regard to the esthetics, too, the compounds in the TPE-S series offer advantages when contrasted with other materials such as PVC. The good flow properties, for instance, eliminate the so-called “gramophone record effect” – grooves perpendicular to the direction of flow. A homogenous surface is created, showing no ridges or ripples. Thanks to its superior elasticity, the TPE-S resins allow the manufacture of any desired window geometry and thus set standards in design freedom. Over and above this, the compounds from the THERMOLAST® K line of products convince users of their utility owing to their outstanding resistance to weathering and ultraviolet light. The TPE specialists in the town of Waldkraiburg have demonstrated this in Florida and Kalahari tests where the materials are subjected to extreme environmental conditions. What’s more, there will be no squeaking of any kind – either at high speeds or in extreme curves. The material is completely recyclable and that, too, makes it an environment-friendly alternate to PVC.

About KRAIBURG TPE

KRAIBURG TPE (www.kraiburg-tpe.com) manufactures thermoplastic elastomers based on HSBC (hydrogenated styrene block copolymers) and markets them all around the world. In addition to custom solutions, the company offers under the THERMOLAST® and HIPEX® brand names a broad spectrum of standardized compounds to cover a wide range of applications. The company produces at sites in Germany, the US and Malaysia. KRAIBURG TPE also maintains sales offices in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, China and India.

Please direct your questions to:
KRAIBURG TPE GmbH & Co. KG
Lars Goldmann
Friedrich-Schmidt-Straße 2
84478 Waldkraiburg, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)8638.9810-278
Fax: +49 (0)8638.9810-11278
Email: lars.goldmann@kraiburg-tpe.com
www.kraiburg-tpe.com