Styron, the global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber is set to participate in the 2014 international VDI Conference, “Plastics in Automotive Engineering”. This year Styron Automotive will be highlighting its present focus on the numbers that count in engineering innovations and successful commercial collaborations of their PULSETM GX Series.
The VDI Conference serves as an excellent opportunity for Styron Automotive to showcase not only its top notch engineering capabilities, but also their commercial successes with key global automotive players throughout the industry. The result of these successes will be illustrated by key numbers that truly matter to customers.
BMW i3 door sill panel with PULSE GX50 UVB for unpainted parts produced by Dräxlmaier
Styron Automotive will focus in specifically on PULSE™ GX50, an economical mixture of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in a blend ratio which provides a 4% decrease in density compared to industry-standard PC/ABS grades, low carbon emissions (VOC) in the range of 10 ppm. In addition, it provides outstanding resistance to heat distortion at practical use temperatures up to 110ºC, and high impact strength at temperatures as low as -30ºC. PULSE™ GX50 is also suited to be used in unpainted applications reducing part costs by 50%, according to OEM and Tier partners. The success of these noteworthy numbers will be showcased at the VDI conference with specific customer cases from the Mercedes Benz C Class and the BMW i3 Series.
To further illustrate the importance of these numbers, the Styron VDI booth will be partially constructed with PULSETM GX50, allowing customers to experience the excellent grain reproduction and uniform low gloss first hand. Visitors will even be able to take home a PULSETM GX50 piece from the booth. As a result, Styron will leave the VDI conference with a lighter booth as an indirect illustration of their most notable number: a 4% reduction in density.
Numbers that Count with PULSETM GX lead to Success in BMW i3 series and Mercedes-Benz C Class
The PULSETM GX solutions have been instrumental in the development of the BMW i3 series mid console, glove box, and trunk trim as well as the Mercedes Benz C class pillars and door panels. Much of this success can be accredited to two key engineering breakthroughs: a 4% decrease in density and proprietary UV stabilizing technology, which allows for unpainted applications. Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz were particularly enthusiastic about the actual numbers considered as KPIs by the respective organizations. PULSE™ GX50 enabled the production of lighter and cheaper interior parts, while meeting the high safety and environmental standards. As an example, these parts create for BMW 4% less waste and are easier to recycle because they are unpainted.
For BMW in particular, the UV stabilizing technology played a key role in their decision to choose PULSETM GX solutions. Until recently, BMW exclusively used painted PC/ABS parts for visible components designed in that material for its specific heat resistance and low temperature impact capabilities. However for their new models, they have adopted a new approach and have been investing in unpainted PC/ABS for uncovered/exposed parts as well. The PULSETM GX technology proved successful as it allows for parts to remain unpainted whilst offering low gloss properties, excellent grain reproduction and optimum harmony in the interior of the car. Most notably, removing this additional paint step leads to a 50% part cost reduction – a number that truly counts. This decrease in cost paired with the 4% density reduction was essential in BMW’s decision to use PULSETM GX technology for their interior applications.
Worldwide Availability also Essential for Daimler AG
Styron Automotive stays ahead of the game by offering a reliable and consistent supply of solutions around the globe. This approach proved to be particularly essential for Styron’s relationship with Daimler AG. For a number of years Styron Automotive has been considered a key development partner of Daimler AG. Recently however, Styron Automotive gained considerable additional recognition: it is now officially recognized as a global supplier for PULSETM GX50 on Daimler AG’s platforms. This global status was even further solidified in 2013 when Styron received awards for outstanding achievement throughout the year from Johnson Controls North American Automotive Experience Interior Division as well as the European Supplier award in the category of Global Growth from Johnson Controls. Both these awards were related to the Daimler C- class development and its successful production start up.
Future Innovation in PULSE™ technology and continued focus on numbers that truly matter
Building upon the success of the existing interior PULSETM GX technology, Styron plans to release a similar PULSETM Series focusing on exterior applications this year.
“We are excited about the success of the PULSETM GX technology. We see it as a new generation of PC/ABS materials and the future of low density applications. Our new line of materials for exterior applications will continue to build upon the success of the PULSE GX series for our interior applications and revolve around these key numbers that truly matter to the customer,” said Anis Tebib, Marketing Manager at Styron Automotive. “The industry is changing and embracing the idea of replacing steel in exterior applications with plastics. We want to continue to build the confidence of design engineers in working with plastic materials by collaborating closely with them and expanding our PULSETM technology to encompass exterior applications.”