Innovative TPE solutions for current challenges from lightweighting to circular economy

At Fakuma 2021 (Booth B5-5303) from October 12 to 16 at Friedrichshafen Exhibition Center, Germany, KRAIBURG TPE will put the spot on several TPE developments targeting critical challenges in the market and highlighting the material manufacturer’s leading role in the thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) segment.

“Fakuma is an important trade fair for major trends in plastics processing, and we welcome this opportunity to present innovative compounds and applications that emphasize both the economic and the sustainable potential of our advanced TPE technology,” says Franz Hinterecker, CEO at KRAIBURG TPE. “Under the theme ‘Discover KRAIBURG TPE, Solutions with Thermoplastic Elastomers’, our exhibit will focus on latest developments for exceptional feel & touch, weight and materials savings, and specific solutions that score with regard to circular economy”.

An overview of KRAIBURG TPE’s highlights at Fakuma:

• Smooth Touch TPEs – addressing ‘New Standards in Haptics’, these compounds have a perfect fit in the design and packaging market. Optimum slip is another characteristic provided by the soft surface of the Smooth Touch TPEs. Due to their good adhesion to polyolefins, they are perfectly suited for multi-component injection molding. They meet the requirements of international standards for food contact applications and are available in customer-specific colors. Immediate applications include cosmetics packaging products as well as two-component parts for electronic systems, and household items.
• THERMOLAST^® K compounds with recycled content – TPEs with 20 to 40 percent of recycled material from post industrial resources (PIR), providing ozone stability, weatherability and a temperature resistance of 90°C for automotive exterior applications. The RC/UV compounds enable weight savings of up to 25 percent when compared with conventional TPEs. Application examples include wheel arch liners, drip rails and window encapsulations. They are available in hardness degrees of 50 to 90 Shore A, show good adhesion to polypropylene, and their PIR content contributes to a circular plastics economy.
• Supersoft TPEs – the next generation of particularly soft, resilient and durable TPEs for an increasing variety of demanding injection molding and 3D printing applications. The Supersoft materials have a substantially reduced oil bleeding tendency and provide a pleasant skin-like touch. Their comprehensive regulatory conformity makes the newly developed TPEs suitable for paramedical products such orthotic devices, among others. First successful applications in the sports sector include gel pad inlays for cycling shorts.
• Electrically conductive TPEs – conductive TPEs with defined electrical properties for the future market of intelligent applications ranging from innovative vehicle sensor systems to sportswear, functional wear, and safety clothing. They combine sealed, homogeneous surfaces with tack-free touch and provide excellent adhesion to various thermoplastics, including polyamides.
• Lightweight TPEs – TPEs filled with 3M^™ glass bubbles for extremely weight-saving components especially in automotive design and in the manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UVA, such as drones), power tools, textiles as well as sports and outdoor items. In contrast to expandable materials, these lightweighting TPE solutions enable very thin-walled moldings with high load capacity and excellent surface quality. Along with UV stability, specially developed grades also provide a particularly low compression set. Another series of these TPE materials is particularly targeted at eliminating the need for bonding agents in multi-component parts with polyamide.

All of these innovative product developments are globally available and manufactured to the same stringent quality standards at KRAIBURG TPE production sites in Europe, Asia and America.

KRAIBURG TPE will officially introduce the new Smooth Touch Technology at Fakuma. In addition, several webinars are planned to address the individual TPE highlights in greater detail. During the trade fair, the company’s material and market experts will be available for detailed expert discussions and interviews at booth B5 5303. For further information see www.kraiburg-tpe.com/en/fakuma.

For arranging an appointment at Fakuma from October 12 to 16, please contact juliane.schmidhuber@kraiburg-tpe.com.

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