Makrofol® and Bayfol® in particular are used in automotive engineering – mainly in vehicle interiors, where they are used to make printed, three-dimensional back-injected components for largely decorative functions. The method primarily used for this is film back-injection, also known as film insert molding (FIM). If a transparent or translucent film is used, components can be backlit (day and night design). The current trend is towards films that help create a pleasant, personalized ambience in the vehicle interior using lighting, tactile effects and intelligent functions. There are also many possible applications for polycarbonate-based films in structural bodywork components made from plastic. More recent concepts are based on formable plastic films that are back-injected or back-foamed with glass-fiber or mineral-reinforced thermoset plastics or thermoplastics. The films serve as a covering material or coating substrate and produce a top-class exterior surface. Given the promising future of polycarbonate films for such applications, we have installed a facility in Leverkusen that enables customers to reproduce the complete film back-injection process chain on a technical service lab scale and produce structural bodywork components that can be color matched. The following selected case
studies demonstrate typical automotive engineering applications
for our films:
AutoCreative™ is an initiative
to establish Bayer MaterialScience, on a global basis, as the
leading development partner and supplier of the automotive
industry. By working with the AutoCreative™
team, customers are able to efficiently leverage the wide range of
advanced products and technologies – from polyurethanes and
polycarbonates, to thermoplastic polyurethanes and coatings,
adhesives and sealants – offered by Bayer MaterialScience for a
number of interior and exterior automotive applications. Visit the
AutoCreative™ Web
Site.
|
Print