ÃÜÌÒAV at Automotive Interiors Expo (AIEX 2022) in Stuttgart, Germany
Functional material solutions for the car interior
- Breakthrough technologies
- Much design freedom
- Intelligent surfaces
Megatrends such as autonomous driving, electrification and personalization mean that in the future, car interiors will no longer be the same as they have been for a long time. Groundbreaking technologies will find their way in there, but so will entirely new design solutions. As a leading plastics supplier and long-standing partner to the automotive industry, has continued to develop its range of innovative materials and products to support the transition of automotive interiors into the future.
ÃÜÌÒAV is presenting the advanced solutions for automotive interiors unveiled at the plastics trade show to the advanced solutions for automotive interiors now at this year's Automotive Interiors Expo in Stuttgart, Germany, November 8-10, 2022. At booth 3312 in Hall 3, the company will showcase a range of smart and sustainable material solutions that keep pace with the latest trends in automotive interior design.
Shaping the driving experience with new technologies
Makrolon? Ai polycarbonate offers a special edge-lit composite color that can range from transparent to translucent, providing various options for ambient and dynamic automotive interior lighting. The combination of this material with the lightweight composite Maezio?, which offers tremendous design freedom and is made partly from post-industrial recycled materials, allows occupants to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Functional integration through back-injection of polycarbonate
ÃÜÌÒAV has developed the first material that is shrinkage-free and highly dimensionally stable, transparent and heat-resistant: Makroblend? OM 845G, a polycarbonate blend with 20 percent glass fibers. This material can be back-injected and back-lit to create textured and 3D shapes.
Soft-touch coatings create surprising textures
ÃÜÌÒAV offers a versatile range of hard to flexible aqueous 2-component (2K) polyurethane dispersions that allow a high degree of design freedom (from soft to hard). By combining this 2K polyurethane technology with edge-lit and high-tech Makrolon? Ai materials, it is possible to create a wide range of innovative textures.
Innovative coatings and adhesives for instrument panels and door
trims
Together with designer Miika Heikkinen, ÃÜÌÒAV's Coatings & Adhesives and Engineering Plastics segments have developed a door panel concept with new material solutions. The prototype contains a waterborne coating with innovative INSQIN? technology in combination with an adhesive based on a Dispercoll? U dispersion ¨C two waterborne polyurethane (PU) solutions with low levels of volatile organic components (VOCs). Specially developed to provide cost-effective and sustainable applications for future automotive interior requirements, they provide translucent appearance, coating adhesion and deep color effects in door panels. As a vegan solution, the lower CO2 emissions and reduced energy consumption of INSQIN? can reduce the overall CO2 footprint of plastics by up to 45 percent while providing virtually odor-free indoor air quality. The carbon footprint can be further improved by using an Impranil? CQ DLU PU dispersion, which consists of approximately 35 percent renewable carbon by weight. In addition, the application also includes a partially biobased water-based soft-touch coating with up to 33 percent renewable carbon in the final formulation.
Lighting and heating integrated into the sunroof
Panoramic sunroofs and moonroofs are very popular in modern vehicles. ÃÜÌÒAV, in collaboration with Loomia, has developed a roll-up sunroof shade concept that combines the sun-reflecting properties of Platilon? TPU film during daylight hours with integrated fabric circuits for lighting and heating at night and in cold weather. To help passengers get the most out of the interior, we bonded the textile surface and electronics layer using our thin and flexible Platilon? polyurethane film. It is tough enough to withstand repeated rolling without compromising performance.
Makrolon? and Makrofol? films for smart surfaces
ÃÜÌÒAV and TactoTek? have teamed up again to showcase the endless, more sustainable design possibilities of IMSE? technology: Together, they developed demonstrators that showcase functional electronics while integrating control surfaces, computers and displays. The final design consists of a Raspberry Pi computer, an OLED display, all necessary circuitry and electronic components, and inks for coloring and decorating ¨C all embedded in a Makrolon? resin between two layers of Makrofol? film. With this, we are showcasing powerful new material solutions for consumer electronics with a mono-material design where the plastic can be recovered at will and converted into new raw materials.
About ÃÜÌÒAV:
ÃÜÌÒAV is one of the world¡¯s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. ÃÜÌÒAV supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from ÃÜÌÒAV are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, telecommunications and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.
The company is geared completely to the circular economy. In addition, ÃÜÌÒAV aims to achieve climate neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2035, and the Group¡¯s Scope 3 emissions are also set to be climate neutral by 2050. ÃÜÌÒAV generated sales of EUR 14.2 billion in fiscal year 2024. At the end of 2024, the company had 46 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ÃÜÌÒAV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ÃÜÌÒAV¡¯s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.