Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
October 19, 2021 10:23 AM

BMW grille gets smart to take home SPE award

David Vink
Correspondent
Plastics News Correspondent
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    BMW in assembly plant workers
    BMW AG
    The front panel of BMW's iX SUV won top honors in an SPE competition.

    The front grille on BMW's iX electric-drive SUV provides a smart surface that allows the automaker to embed sensors, cameras and radar systems behind its decorative exterior.

    The iX was one of two grand innovation winners at the recent Society of Plastics Engineers Central Europe 20th Automotive Awards.

    BMW's Dingolfing plant in Germany molds the panels on Engel machinery using an injection compression mold from Schechen, Germany-based Summerer Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, an automotive plastics glazing mold systems specialist for 40 years.

    The kidney-shaped panel is molded from Makrolon AG2677, a medium-viscosity, UV-stabilized, easy-release polycarbonate automotive glazing material from Covestro. It is in-mold flooded with self-healing polyurethane in a single-shot process integrating radome heating.

    Bingen, Germany-based Oerlikon Balzers Coatings Germany GmbH plasma vapor deposition (PVD) equipment creates radar-transparent diamond-shape metallic effects. The "intelligent surface" panel houses camera technology, radar functions, driver assistance sensor technology and heating elements.

    David Vink
    AMG GT Black composite gear carrier (left) has replaced a cast aluminum-magnesium part (right) 07 AMG gear carrier.jpg Photo: D. Vink
    Composite part reduces weight

    In serial production since October 2020 at Mercedes Benz's Sindelfingen, Germany-plant, the Mercedes AMG GT Black gear carrier received the powertrain grand innovation award.

    The part uses a FibreTEC3D free-space winding process utilizing continuous carbon-fiber bundles from Toray Carbon Fibers Europe SA. These are first impregnated by an Epikote Trac 06398/Epicure epoxide resin system from Iserlohn, Germany-based Hexion GmbH. The resin withstands temperatures up to 210° C (410° F) near the exhaust tract.

    Mercedes produces 3,500 carriers per year, two per car. Mercedes developed FibreTEC3D with the ITM textile machinery institute at Dresden Technical University.

    The company also uses the process for robot gripper and other production aids for A-, C-, E- and S-class cars.

    Replacing cast aluminum-magnesium alloy cut weight by 55 percent (0.95 kilograms vs. 1.75 kg), with identical stiffness. The carrier uses 100 meters of impregnated carbon fibers wound around aluminum deflection/connection points and is integrated with conventional carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxide composite for load-bearing.

    Slot lines honored for mobility innovation

    Thin electric motor slot liners used in BMW's fifth-generation eDrive won the mobility innovation award. The liners increase efficiency, reduce size and weight.

    Turin, Italy-based molder Cobraplast SpA makes the part using Xydar G930, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) from Solvay Specialty Polymers Italy SpA.

    Solvay also featured enabling technology for the second-place winner, thin-extruded KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) insulated magnet wires at Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire plants in Germany.

    BMW again for enabling technology

    BMW's Landshut, Germany, plastics processing plant received the enabling technology innovation award for injection moldings with integrated temperature control. Media from existing circuits run through the molding's coarse cellular core, produced by water-assist molding of Stamax 20 percent long-glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene from Sabic Innovative Plastics.

    Sabic also received new mobility second place for a one-shot stamped aluminum insert-molded Lucid Air electric car battery module housing, produced by Hayward, Calif.-based molder Plastikon Industries Inc. with Lexan 3412ECR, a halogen-free UL94-V0 flame retardant 20 percent glass-fiber-reinforced polycarbonate. Complex tool design by Zwickau, Germany-based Christian Karl Siebenwurst GmbH resulted in less production stages and a compact, high energy-density battery pack housing.

    The chassis/structural second place went to a Hyundai iX25 roof rail, gas-assist molded by Loznica, Serbia-based Minth Europe Automotive DOO in Akromid B3 GF50 1GIT 50 percent glass-fiber-reinforced nylon from Niederzissen, Germany-based compounder Akro-Plastic GmbH, using equipment from Ettenheim, Germany-based PME Fluidtec GmbH.

    Sustainable materials nominations included Akro-Plastic with ICF "intelligent carbon-fiber" compounds derived from waste CF fabric.

    LyondellBasell Co. BV was nominated in body interiors for Looppile X, the claimed first carpet produced with 100 percent recycled PP by Genemuiden, Netherlands-based Condor Cartex BV, Europe's largest car carpet producer. Condor can also recycle polyester-fiber-based carpets into new carpet.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Italian machine builder Magic completes US headquarters
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Biden sets US goal to replace 90% of plastics with biomaterials
    2
    Polymer Points Live March 2023: Commodity resin prices rising, but engineering resins see drops
    3
    Ad panels say ABA overstated PET bottle recycling efforts
    4
    Boston buys sole ownership of General Polymers
    5
    Film maker Inteplast sees green in green
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified