KRAIBURG TPE is focusing on the e-mobility market with a comprehensive thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) portfolio.
TPEs have been used more and more frequently for exterior and interior applications, as well as applications for engine compartments and power trains of motor vehicles.
The company says THERMOLAST compounds from KRAIBURG TPE are characterised by excellent flowability and are thus suitable for thin-walled soft-touch surfaces, while precisely producing an image of even the most complex tool contours.
According to Michael Pollmann, Director Sales & Marketing EMEA at KRAIBURG TPE, important trends include durable design of vehicle interiors for new utilisation concepts such as car sharing, as well as more effective reduction of driving noise due to quieter electric drives, and good adhesion to technical plastics, such as polyamides, for two-component injection moulding.
Pollmann said: “We are striving to coordinate the specifications for each application with OEMs and tier 1 customers as early as possible. In the process, we are using our specific experience from other application areas such as electrical engineering and electronics to accelerate the development, release and launch of applications.”
Typical examples can be found in the whole range of e-mobility solutions, from two-wheelers through to commercial and off-road vehicles.
Electric drives, as well as autonomous and connected vehicles, also mean the integration of more and more electronic and sensor systems into vehicles.
Special TPEs with a very low compression set therefore provide the perfect properties for durable housing seals made of a cost-efficient two-component composite with other materials, including polar thermoplastics.
Integrated two-component applications with TPE can also have a significant additional noise-reducing effect. This is particularly important, as creaking and squeaking noises caused by individual components rubbing against each other are a much greater nuisance due to the quieter drive of electric vehicles.
