DSM MATERIALS BRING INNOVATION IN SAFETY PARTS

At K 2007, DSM Engineering Plastics will demonstrate how - based on its extensive material data sets and its extensive CAE expertise - the company can make a further step in value creation by either co-developing new applications in plastic or by optimizing the design of applications for even more safety. This high level experience facilitates also the introduction of new materials which combine high safety with high productivity.

Increasingly, safety is becoming an important aspect in our day-to-day lives. A growing number of safety systems is built into cars: air bag systems, ABS and ESP are now considered to be essential parts of any automobile. In households too greater emphasis is given to safety parts in power distribution parts and appliances.

DSM Engineering Plastics has a long and proven track record in safety applications in different industry segments: in air bag systems as well as in brake systems, engineering plastics such as Akulon PA6, Arnite PET, Stanyl PA46 and Arnitel TPE-E have become the materials of choice -and today they have become market leaders. Akulon PA6, Arnite PBT, Stanyl PA46 and Xantar PC have also become valued in electrical applications such as power distribution.

Material data

DSM Engineering Plastics has collected extensive material data for various automotive safety parts. These include data on high-speed tensile tests and high-speed dynamic burst. Based on these validated data in combination with advanced integrated CAE simulation techniques, DSM is able to advise its customers on the most optimal design in combination with the best suited material grade. Typical examples include the various Air Bag Container designs (driver, passenger, lateral, knee, curtain ABC). This expertise is also used to replace metal in Air Bag Containers, which leads to greater safety, lower weight and a reduction in costs.

Based on DSM’s expertise it is much easier to introduce new materials such as Akulon Ultraflow PA6 for safety applications: in various Air Bag Container designs the impact modified glassfiber reinforced high flow & high productivity grades K-FPG8 and K-FPG6 have been successfully introduced delivering substantial cost advantages throughout the business chain through faster production runs in injection molding, more cavities per tool, fewer tools

and machines, greater design freedom, etc. The same holds for Akulon Ultraflow K-FKMV5, which is fast becoming the material of choice for Miniature Circuit Breakers housings by replacing halogen containing flame retardant mineral grades and halogen free flame retardant glassfiber or mineral standard PA6 grades.

New safety applications under development

Based on DSM EP’s extensive validated material data in combination with advanced integrated CAE simulation techniques DSM is capable of co-developing with customers various new safety applications such as structural reinforcements as used in the car body. These parts increase the crash resistance of a car and also contribute to reducing the noise within the chassis. By using engineering plastic reinforcements the weight of a car can be substantially reduced by as much as 12-24 kg. Other new applications under development in Akulon (Ultraflow) are pedestrian impact beams, rear door beams and side door beams.

Reader enquiries

DSM Engineering Materials
30 Pasir Panjang Road #13-31
Mapletree Business City
Singapore 117440
Singapore

Notes for editors

DSM Engineering Plastics

DSM Engineering Plastics is a Business Group in the performance materials cluster of DSM, with sales in 2006 of EUR 1005 million (which number includes the sales of DSM Dyneema) and approximately 1300 employees worldwide. It is one of the world's leading suppliers of engineering thermoplastics offering a broad portfolio of high performance products including Stanyl® PA 46 and Akulon® 6 and 66 polyamides, Arnitel® TPE-E, Arnite® PBT and PET polyesters, Xantar® polycarbonate, Yparex® extrudable adhesive resins. These materials are used in technical components for electrical appliances, electronic equipment and cars, in barrier packaging films as well as in many mechanical and extrusion applications. With Stanyl®, it is the global market leader in high heat polyamides.

About DSM

DSM is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company develops, produces and sells innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life. DSM’s products are used in a wide range of end-markets and applications, such as human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings and paint, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). DSM’s strategy, named Vision 2010 – Building on Strengths, focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company’s specialties portfolio. The key drivers of this strategy are market-driven growth and innovation plus an increased presence in emerging economies. The group has annual sales of over €8 billion and employs some 22,000 people worldwide. DSM ranks among the global leaders in many of its fields. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. More information about DSM can be found at www.dsm.com .

Akulon®, Arnite®, Arnitel®, Stanyl®, Xantar® and Yparex® are registered trademarks of Royal DSM