Polyolen foam on the rise

Over the past ve years, the drive to move to an all-polyolen automotive interior has led to intense competition between makers of various plastics, particularly foams. And it makes sense to use soft polyolen foams when replacing soft polyurethane ones. Recent developments in polyolen resin technology make use of new catalyst systems, which enable specic material properties to be created, while the properties necessary to meet the stringent thermal and mechanical requirements are maintained. The use of polyolen bead foams for automotive interiors complement the use of TPO (thermoplastic olen) skins, which allow for more exible part designs. The ability to produce TPO skins in a single layer, bi-laminate, and even tri-laminate, coupled with a thermally matched polyolen bead foam, enables interior components to be produced in a single step. Advances in polypropylene resin development have enabled random copolymers to be created by blending low amounts of ethylene to develop resins with a specic melt point, melt range, and melt owall of which contribute to the property of expanded bead foams. Development in the area of polyethylene has led to new blends of LDPE (low-density polyethylene), LLDPE (linear LDPE), and mLLDPE (metallocene LLDPE) resins that allow specic properties to be obtained in the resulting expanded bead foams. Expanded polyolen bead foams have been used in the automotive industry in the form of energy-absorbing EPP (expanded polypropylene) for more than 20 years in applications such as bumper cores, knee bolsters, and head-impact pads. Newer applications include instrument panel toppers, door panels, pillars, and package shelf trays, where the bead foam has been combined with a TPO skin to produce a nished part. The exibility of polyolen bead foams have enabled the production of a single-piece door panel with integrated exterior skin, molded-in substrate, energy absorber, wire harness clips, fasteners, and structural framein a single step. As expanded bead foam technology evolves, and the availability of specialtygrade polyolen resins grows, the ability to further optimize this single-step operation will allow for more system integration and more performance optimization. With market trends favoring part consolidation, weight reduction, and increased innovation, the exibility of

Extrusion Mini pellets

Expansion & cross-linking

Molding Bead foam Steam

Base resins and additives

Additives & blowing agent

The process to produce xEPE bead foam is similar to that used for EPP production.

The indentation force deection test is the standard one used to evaluate most soft foams. Measured is the load sufcient to deect the foam 25%.

In-mold grained TPO skin surface Center cross-linked PP PP or PE bonding layer Low-density EPP or xEPE High-density EPP or xEPE substrate

JSP Internationals laminated ARPRO EPP molding process enables engineers to provide for specic levels of softness and energy management in localized areas of an all-polyolen part, as shown in the cross section.

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N
3500 3000 2500

lb
800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Molded xEPE 20 g/L (IFD=225) Glued bead xEPE 34 g/L (IFD=170) Flexible PU 86 g/L (IFD=85) Seating PU 50 g/L (IFD=50)

Force

2000 1500 1000 500 0

Compression, % The shape of the xEPE curve reects a fairly linear correlation between stress and strain in this IFD test graph, which compares the compression rates of soft xEPE vs. soft PU forms. These properties make xEPE a good choice for both softness at low strain rates and energy management at higher strain rates.

This xEPE headrest with integrated bar was produced in a single-step molding operation.

polyolen bead foams and their ability to perform multiple functions and be integrated into all polyolen systems make them especially attractive. The market for polyolen foams in automotive interiors has grown from less than 5% in 1995 to more than 40% in 2002. Of this, a majority of the development has been with polypropylene in the area of extruded foams and with energy-management bead foams. The success of polyolen bead foam rests in its ability to offer a unique combination of softness, resiliency, ability to be shape-molded, ability to manage energy, excellent strength-to-weight ratio, low cost, and low mass. In addition, polyolen bead foam is recyclable, contains no volatile blowing agents, and can be incorporated into a variety of processes. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) foams are becoming obsolete, and neither that material nor polyurethane foam are well suited for simple processing methods. Development of the single-station laminated ARPRO EPP molding process from JSP Internationalwhereby a TPO skin is vacuum-formed into a female mold, EPP beads injected behind the skin, and the part steamedhas permitted a thermally matched all-polyolen component part to be created without the use of adhesives, volatile chemicals, or fasteners. A recent development in the area of polyethylene processing has permitted the creation of partially cross-linked LDPE and LLDPE bead foams. This family of lightly cross-linked and closedcell polyethylene ARPAK xEPE (cross-linked expanded polyethylene) bead foams from JSP permits a more targeted approach to creating a soft foam for use in a traditional EPP molding process. The process is similar to that of the EPP bead production process. ARPAK xEPE bead foam density ranges from as low as 12 g/L (0.10 lb/gal) to as high as 45 g/L (0.37 lb/gal). Higher densities are possible, but like all polyolen bead foams, there is a clear correlation between bead foam density and softness. Once the

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Intelligence

New Heavy-Duty Hi-Torque Nutrunners 177 & 277 Series

Muscle

xEPE bead foam is produced, it can be steam-chest-molded to densities ranging from 20 g/L (0.17 lb/gal) to 60 g/L (0.50 lb/gal). The properties achieved by the molded xEPE bead foam offer a good balance of density, tensile strength, and tensile elongation, as well as tear strength, compression-set resistance, and softness (as measured by the indentation load deection test). The development of the soft foam xEPE technology allows for a unique set of properties exhibited by both polyolen and polyurethane foams. The shape of the stress-strain curve is more like that of the soft polyurethane foams, but with

better stress-to-density (weight) ratio. The elongation (75% for 20 g/L molded xEPE) is also similar to that of the soft polyurethane foams, but with better tear strength. As is the case with EPP, both the softness and the energy-management capability of a molded xEPE part is a direct function of its molded density. Multiple densities can be strategically located within a given molded part in a one-step or multi-step process in order to meet specic customer requirements.
This article was written by Steven R. Sopher, JSP International.

Piston ring coating from Dana

Now brains, brawn, speed and precision are combined into a new generation of intelligent nutrunners for fixtured fastening systems. These modular tools are offered in adaptable In-line, Offset, Right Angle, Hold and Drive and Sliding Spindle configurations and models. Here are a few of the many features / benefits Models up to 3,000 Nm (2,300 lbf-ft) Fastest in the industry Resolver-based control for high precision ISO 5393 Class "A" rated Durable design for long life reliability "Plug and Play" convenience Available with redundant transducers Excellent for heavy-duty assembly applications SPX GSE tech-motive tool always ready to meet customer needs with technical support, systems design and turnkey fastening solutions. Let "tech-motive tool" show you how to improve your critical joint torque strategies and assembly productivity.
Danas thermally applied coating shown in the groove of the piston ring face.

A new piston ring coating from Dana is designed to reduce emissions and oil consumption while improving the durability of diesel engines. The PCF-480 coating is based on PCF380 technology currently used for heavyduty engines. The new formula, geared for use on the milder duty cycle of passenger-car diesels, was designed for decreased wear on the bore and ring surfaces to provide a superior seal. The thermally applied coating lls the groove on the piston ring face.

Internal coating strength is improved compared to standard thermally applied coatings, and the new coating produces a 30% harder surface and is less porous than previous light-duty ring coatings, resulting in better wear characteristics, said Mike Kestner, Director of R&D, Danas Perfect Circle Division. Because thermally applied coatings offer more design exibility than electroplated piston rings, the shape and sharp-edge proles provide improved emissions performance and reduced oil consumption. The PCF-480 coating process is also friendlier to the environment than traditional electroplated coatings, Kestner added. Patrick Ponticel

Corus springs a surprise

One of the most demanding applications of steel in a car is valve springs. Steel producer Corus Automotive has just completed the rst fatigue tests of a new grade of steel manufactured to meet valve spring requirements. It produced a trial quantity of the material, which was sent to a Swedish specialist in the manufacture of valve spring wire, Haldex-Garphyttan, which subjected it to a continuous fatigue test program over three months and reported that it had been impressed by the performance of the steel. Further trials will be held. It is likely to be at least 24 months before the new steel is fully approved for

42860 Nine Mile Road Novi, Michigan 48375-4122 www.gsetechmotive.com Tel: 248.596.0600 toll free: 800.795.7875 FAX: 248.596.0601

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It may look like any other valve spring, but Corus believes this is something special.

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valve spring applications and enters full production, said Coruss Wire Rod Director Peter Hogg. If successful, we would become one of only a handful of integrated steel manufacturers in the world to supply this quality of steel. It was Coruss successful manufacture of steel rod for tire cord that initially gave the company the condence to develop a new grade of steel. The same steel composition that is used for valve springs can also be used in clutch and suspension springs. Corus has supplied further trial quantities to leading wire drawers for testing in the production of these other spring types. Stuart Birch

acid, and this does not depend on the position of the parts in the bath. The required shades are said to be achievable even on complex shapes, the BASF process enabling aluminum to be colored up to 50% more quickly than other processes. Methanesulphonic acid is readily biodegradable, and, according to BASF, can

be employed in all processes in metal nishing in which acids are used. Its advantage over sulphuric acid and ordinary, less pure grades of methanesulphonic acid is that tin, silver, and copper compounds can be prevented from forming sludge, which saves money and energy. Stuart Birch

All that glistens may be aluminum

A gold nish for metallic automotive trim parts may not be to mass aesthetic taste, but there is some demand for it. A difculty, though, may be to achieve a color wholly consistent with the gold effects needed. Now, BASF has come up with a patented process for coloring aluminum in baths containing methanesulphonic acid which, it says, makes it possible to obtain a realistic gold nish on aluminum surfaces. Typically, gold effects can be achieved on aluminum via anodizing followed by the application of color. But BASF says that dyes have limited performance; shades and lightfastness may be unsatisfactory. So, instead of dyes, the company uses nely divided metal crystals deposited in the aluminum oxide layer. This results in a realistic gold nish with excellent light fastness, said Helmut Witteler, BASFs Head of Development and Applications Technology for Surface Finishing. The metal crystals are deposited very evenly if the bath is based on methanesulphonic

Gold out of a bottle? BASF tells how it is done.

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