New Beetle Brims with Polymers and Raw Materials
15 July 1998
Bumper-to-Bumper, the New Beetle Brims with Polymers and Raw Materials from Bayer Corporation PITTSBURGH, July 14 -- The Beetle is back, and it is creating
a buzz among new car buyers across North America.
But this is not the same Volkswagen Beetle that provided basic
transportation at a bargain price for millions of drivers from the 50s to the
70s. The new Beetle is equipped with the latest automotive technology,
including dual airbags, front-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brakes and
14 applications of engineering plastics, polyurethane foams and polyurethane
raw materials supplied by Bayer Corporation.
Outside the new Beetle, Bayer's engineering plastics are used in the
headlights and taillights, its diisocyanate is used in the auxiliary springs,
and its polyurethane raw materials protect the finish of plastic and metal
exterior and interior components.
The interior of the new Beetle practically brims with Bayer polymers and
coatings. The inner door panels, components of the instrumental panel, glove
box and center console are molded from Bayer engineering plastics. And
Bayer's polyurethane foam is used inside the doors and instrument panel, while
its polyurethane raw materials help protect the instrument panel.
"To have our materials used so broadly in this new version of a classic
automobile is indeed a compliment to Bayer," said H. Lee Noble, President of
Bayer Corporation's Polymers Division.
PC/ABS Resin Fits IP and Inner Door Panels
The original Beetle's basic interior has been replaced with a styled
interior that uses high-quality engineering plastics for durability and
appearance.
Components of the inner door panels and instrument panel are molded with
Bayer's Bayblend(R) polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) blend
resin. With its outstanding heat deflection properties, Bayblend resin helps
protect these components from high interior temperatures as well as the
damaging effects of direct sunlight. With a very small coefficient of thermal
expansion, Bayblend resin resists post-molding shrinkage, even under extreme
temperature fluctuations.
This combination of properties allows individual components of the
Beetle's instrument panel to be mounted directly next to one another with the
help of zero-joint technology, so that the gap between them is very small.
This gives the instrument panel a more compact and attractive look.
The glove compartment and center console of the Beetle are molded of
Bayer's Novodur(R) and Lustran(R) ABS resins. These ABS resins offer
toughness, strength and rigidity.
A key advantage the Bayblend, Novodur and Lustran resins enjoy over
non-engineering-grade plastics is the outstanding mechanical properties that
can be achieved at very thin wall thicknesses. According to Gerald F.
MacCleary, Vice President, Styrenics Business Management, for Bayer
Corporation's Polymers Division, this improves the cost-effectiveness of
injection-molded automotive parts. "Using these engineering plastics not only
saves on material and thus also on weight, but the parts cool faster in the
mold due to the extremely thin walls. This shortens cycle times. In other
words, a large number of parts can be produced cost-effectively over a short
period of time," explained MacCleary.
The supplier of these interior components to Volkswagen is Sommer Allibert
Industries, of Worth, Germany. Bayer worked with Sommer Allibert Industries
to develop the plastic components and also assisted with optimizing the
production machinery and tooling. Sommer Allibert Industries manufactures the
components near Volkswagen's Puebla, Mexico, Beetle assembly facility.
When production of the Beetle moved from Europe to Mexico, Bayer's global
manufacturing, supply and technical service capabilities kept pace. All
Bayblend, Novodur and Lustran resins used in the Beetle are manufactured in
North America by Bayer Corporation's Polymers Division.
Polyurethanes Provide Protection
As one of the few truly global manufacturers of a wide range of
engineering plastics and polyurethanes, Bayer was uniquely qualified to supply
the new Beetle with polyurethanes and polyurethane raw materials, too.
For example, polyurethane foam is installed in the doors of the Beetle to
manage impact energy in the event of a side impact and thus reduce the risk of
injury to the passengers. Polyurethane foam is also used in the steering
wheel column shroud, where it can potentially help protect the driver from
injury.
American Thieme Corporation, of St. Charles, Ill., manufactures the
bolsters used in these applications from Bayer's Bayfill(R) EA (energy
absorbing) polyurethane foam system. The polyurethane systems utilized in
this plant were customized by Bayer to allow the manufacturer to mold the foam
to the desired hardness and elasticity.
The absorption of force by the polyurethane bolsters remains virtually
constant over a broad range of deformation. Due to efficient energy
absorption and the resulting thin components, the polyurethane foam material
is superior to thermoplastic foams for interior applications.
Additionally, Sommer Allibert Industries uses Bayer's Bayfill semi-rigid
polyurethane foam system in the manufacture of the instrument panel. The
semi-rigid polyurethane foam is molded behind the skin of the instrument
panel. The polyurethane foam provides an attractive appearance to the top of
the instrument panel, as well as resiliency that gives it a soft feel.
Elsewhere in the Beetle interior, polyurethane raw materials from Bayer
provide different protection. Two-component polyurethane "soft-feel" coatings
based on Bayer polyurethane raw materials protect the instrument panel. The
polyurethane coatings give a luxurious feel and appearance, and they are very
elastic and provide excellent abrasion, scratch and mar resistance. The
coatings also exhibit excellent resistance to cleaning agents such as alcohol.
Additionally, Bayer polyurethane raw materials are used in the coating for the
Beetle's plastic and metal exterior parts. Bumper-to-bumper, these coatings
help protect the Beetle's finish from the effects of weathering, acid rain and
chemicals such as fuel and grease. The exterior coatings and the Beetle's
paints are supplied by Herberts Powder Coatings.
Lights, Cooling Reservoirs and Suspension
The Beetle's halogen projector-beam headlights shine through lenses molded
from Bayer's Makrolon(R) AL (automotive lens grade) polycarbonate resin.
Treated with a scratch-resistant coating, the polycarbonate lenses are
substantially lighter and more break-resistant than glass lenses. In
addition, their optical features can be molded more precisely. The headlight
manufacturer is Robert Bosch GmbH, of Stuttgart, Germany.
Taillight supplier Reitter & Schefenacker, of Rochester Hills, Mich., uses
Makrolon AL polycarbonate for parts of the lens, Novodur ABS for the lamp
bezel and Bayblend polycarbonate/ABS blend resin, which is easy to
electroplate, for the reflectors.
Under the hood, the Beetle's front-mounted, water-cooled engine uses
cooling water reservoirs molded with Bayer's Durethan(R) polyamide resin.
Featuring excellent chemical resistance, Durethan exhibits maximum long-term
resistance to water and glycol-based coolants, and it better resists other
engine fluids such as oil, grease and fuel. Durethan's toughness hardly
decreases, even when exposed to coolants at high temperatures. This is
possible due to a new, modified thermal stabilization process developed by
Bayer.
Finally, Elastogran GmbH, of Lemforde, Germany, uses Bayer's Desmodur(R)
15 diisocyanate to produce the Beetle's auxiliary springs. Manufactured with
Elastogran's Cellasto cellular polyurethane elastomer, the springs are
designed for low-temperature flexibility. The spring characteristic of the
oil- and grease-resistant elastomer means that the Beetle's auxiliary springs
provide optimum suspension in the event of particularly strong compression,
such as hitting a pot hole.
For more information about the Beetle, contact: Volkswagen of America..
Telephone: 248-340-5053. Web site: http://www.vw.com.
For more information about automotive components, contact: Sommer
Allibert-Lignotock GmbH, Daimler Strasse 1-Geb 14, 76744, Worth, Germany.
Telephone: 49-72-71130-190.
For more information about automotive foam bolsters, contact: American
Thieme Corporation, 3605 Swenson Ave., St. Charles, Ill. 60174. Telephone:
630-513-1666. Web site: http://www.thieme-products.com.
For more information about headlights, contact: Robert Bosch GmbH,
Postfach 10 60 50, D-70049, Stuttgart, Germany. Telephone: 49-07011-811-0.
For more information about taillights, contact: Reitter & Schefenacker,
3985 West Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills, Mich. 48309. Telephone:
248-276-2400.
For more information about elastomers, contact: Elastogran GmbH, Postfach
11 19, D-49440, Lemforde, Germany. Telephone: 49-05443-12-0.
For more information about Bayer polyurethane raw materials for coatings,
contact: Bayer Corporation, Industrial Chemicals Division, 100 Bayer Road,
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15205-9741. Telephone: 412-777-2000.
For more information about Bayer thermoplastics, polyurethanes and
diisocyanates, contact: Bayer Corporation, Polymers Division, Marketing
Communications Group, 100 Bayer Road, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15205-9741. Telephone:
1-800-622-6004. Web site: http://www.bayer.com/polymers-usa.
Bayer Corporation is a research-based company with major businesses in
health care and life sciences, chemicals and imaging technologies. The
company had 1997 sales of $9.3 billion and employs more than 24,000 people.
Bayer Corporation is investing $9 billion in capital expenditures and research
and development from 1995 through the year 2000. 1998 capital investment and
R&D expenditures are projected to total $1.7 billion. Bayer Corporation, with
headquarters in Pittsburgh, is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a
$32 billion chemical and pharmaceutical company based in Leverkusen, Germany.
