Resin breakthrough could make plastic auto body panels a reality

Dusseldorf, Germany — Bayer Corporation says it may have found the solution for a technical problem that has prevented wider use of plastic in the exteriors of cars and trucks — how to substitute plastic for metal body panels in current assembly plants built with high temperature pre-treat and paint lines. In a technical presentation at the K Show, Bayer says it has raised the temperature resistance of its Triax line of ABS/polyamide resins to the point that it can now withstand the high temperature usually found in the paint line areas of automotive assembly plants.
“We think this is a real breakthrough in the area of automotive body panel manufacturing,” says Mark Matsco, manager, process technology, Bayer Plastics Division.
Matsco says that in addition to high heat resistance, Triax LP3155 has an extremely low coefficient of expansion and can meet the Class A surface requirements of OEMs.