In the automotive industry, the trend of panoramic sunroofs is in the ascendant. As an extra item for the vehicle, many consumers put the panoramic sunroof at the forefront of their wish list when buying a new car. At the same time, cars also need to reduce the weight of their components to minimize carbon dioxide emissions. To meet these challenges, BASF and Grupo Antolin Group successfully developed new engineering plastic components. This newly developed panoramic sunroof is integrated with the roof interior (also known as the roof), and the roof is made of ultra-light polyurethane Elastoflex® E 3943/134. The skylight in the ceiling is supported by the structural skeleton. Traditional skeletons are made of heavy-duty steel, and this new skeleton uses Ultradur® High Speed as a metal alternative. In addition to extremely high dimensional stability, this engineering plastic also imparts excellent mechanical properties to the skeleton.
Cooperation is the key to success
After close cooperation, the two parties successfully proved that Ultradur® High Speed polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) can be used to produce the plastic frame of the panoramic sunroof ceiling. Compared with traditional solutions, the bold new design reduces the weight of the part by 60%. This special material has a series of unique properties, such as excellent dimensional stability, short-cycle low warpage, high stiffness, high temperature resistance and excellent fluidity, allowing large parts to be injection molded.
Enrique Fernandez of the Grupo Antolin Group explained: “One of the main advantages of this newly designed plastic part is the manufacturing process. We put the frame into the ceiling. During the production process, the reinforced frame of the panoramic sunroof and the ceiling interior The parts are fixed so that the parts are formed in the mold. In this way, the assembly tolerances of the parts are improved due to the elimination of additional process steps, and the quality of the final parts is also improved. In addition, this new process does not require the use of any solvents and also Will not produce any harmful emissions."
Ultradur® High Speed supports customers worldwide
Dirk Salzmann, Key Account Manager of BASF's Performance Materials Business Unit, said: "After rheological modification, the new Ultradur® High Speed has excellent fluidity, which is essential for the production of thin and large interior parts. In addition, thanks to its unprecedented With the processing advantages, we can reduce the weight of the parts without losing the rigidity of the parts and the dimensional stability at high temperatures."
The pre-development of this component was completed at the German customer, and then the first pilot project was launched with a best-selling model, with remarkable results. Globally, many automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have noticed the opportunities presented by this solution.