Nov 28 2006
It might be the homemaker’s dream: a machine that will dry and iron clothes in one unit. Fagor, one of the leading European manufacturers of household appliances, has now launched the world’s first household appliance that dries and irons – the so-called Driron. For this very demanding application the technicians of Driron have chosen the specialty plastic Luran® S of BASF for the construction of the internal parts. Luran S is an acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA) and is a member of the PlasticsPlus product line of the Styrenics Operating Division.
High Surface Quality
Main reasons for having chosen Luran S were the dimensional stability, the high temperature resistance as well the surface quality including color stability. The household appliance sector calls for extremely color-stable plastics that retain their colors even after years and that do not turn yellow or chalk. The reason behind the color stability of Luran S is its special acrylate-based rubber. As a result, applications made of Luran S retain its color even after many years. “In comparison to other standard resins as Polypropylene Luran S combined surface quality and different mechanical properties”, explained Beinat Otxoa, Development engineer from Industrias Ibai. Ibai belongs to the Fagor group and is responsible for the marketing of the new product. Furthermore Fagor developers relied on Luran S as a material that retains its dimensional stability with temperatures of about 130° Celsius. Next to the technological properties, arguments for choosing BASF as supplier were the maintenance of specifications and the technical support offered. Using the know-how of its designfabrikTM, BASF has been strongly involved in the designing process and the homologation of the machine.
Driron
The Driron was the product of three years of research and development, but the concept is relatively simple. Clothes are hung inside the machine and weighed down with clip-on attachements. The heat dries the clothes and also creates the steam used to rid them of the wrinkles. The company hopes to sell 40,000 units in the next three years.
PlasticsPlusTM
BASF has bundled a product line of high-performance specialty plastics under the umbrella of PlasticsPlusTM, comprising high-performance styrene plastics, biodegradable materials and foams. Whenever exacting requirements have to be met, the experts and products of PlasticsPlusTM offer a high level of diversity, reliability, innovative solutions and partnership.