Lanxess says that a seat bolster for the Ford Kuga SUV features its Durethan BKV30H2.0EF glass fiber reinforced polyamide (PA) as part of plastic-metal composite component.
According to Ulrich Dajek, hybrid design expert at Lanxess, the material is high flow and can be processed at lower injection pressures. ‘For this reason, smaller injection molding machines with lower clamping forces can be used in the production of the hybrid bolster,’ he said. ‘This has a positive effect on the machine running costs and allows greater flexibility in terms of machine selection and production planning.’ Dajek says that due to the high flowability of polyamide 6, component areas with filigree geometries can be designed with thinner walls. ‘It was possible to reduce the wall thickness by around 20% in the areas subject to lower loads,’ he said. ‘Compared to a standard polyamide 6 with the same fiberglass content, this results in an appreciable weight saving.’
This story uses material from Lanxess, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
