Materials: TPEs for Automotive Interiors with Cost-Performance Advantage

The latest addition to the Thermolast K portfolio of TPE compounds for a range of increasingly demanding automotive interior components from Kraiburg TPE (U.S. office in Duluth, Ga.) is the GP/HF series, said to represent a major effort by the company to support the automotive industry in coping with high-cost pressures.

The GP/HF series is currently comprised of three compounds with Shore A hardness of 60, 70, and 80. The new TPE compounds reportedly feature optimum flowability with an attractive cost-performance ratio. Company sources note that in developing these compounds, the focus was on the selection of raw materials in addition to the customary quality standards of Kraiburg TPE materials. This, together with the composition of the recipe, enables a material to support the automotive industry in coping with high cost pressures.

 

 

Said team automotive application development expert Alexander Mayer, “Our aim was to be able to provide the best possible materials in terms of properties and cost-performance ratio. And we’ve succeeded in achieving that. Our product portfolio enables us to fulfill all current and future customer requests.”

Typical applications include high-quality multicomponent parts ranging from anti-slip mats in cup holders to soft-touch surfaces of center console covers, seat belt buckles and door pull handles through to shelves that include an integrated, inductive charging option for cell phones.