The quest for plastic automotive body panels
Canadian Plastics
At this year's K Show Bayer introduced a new grade of Triax resin it said was capable of withstanding the high temperature usually found in the paint lines of current automotive assembly plants. If tr...
At this year’s K Show Bayer introduced a new grade of Triax resin it said was capable of withstanding the high temperature usually found in the paint lines of current automotive assembly plants. If true, the resin would offer a possible solution to the current infrastructure problem which prevents greater use of plastic in vehicle bodies and other exterior areas — how to substitute plastic for metal body panels in current assembly plants built with high-temperature paint lines. Details about the resin, called Triax DP 3155, were sketchy at the time of the show, but Canadian Plastics submitted questions seeking more information to Bayer engineers in Germany. Their replies are presented below.
Q: What automotive parts will you make from Triax DP 3155?
A: We developed the resin for parts that are attached to the steel panels of a car. It’s designed to withstand high temperatures of 185 C and higher during the painting process. For paint lines we are not ready to release the grade with highest heat resistance.
Q: Can you name the carmakers you will work with on development of this resin?
A: We are not able to name the carmakers at this point. We can say, in general, that it’s being developed together with a German OEM.
Q: When will commercial production of auto parts from Triax DP 3155 begin?
A: This Triax grade in not commercialized yet in mass production. It is very new still.
Q: When will this grade be available in North America?
A: Sometime in 2002.
Q: Are you doing any R&D with the material to produce body panels?
A: Yes. We are doing R&D activities on body panels with major automotive OEMs.
Q: Can this grade of Triax be processed in conventional injection molding machines?
A: Yes.
