LANXESS: New BMW 3 Series Coupé with side panels made from Triax®

Long-awaited by many motoring enthusiasts, the BMW 3 Series Coupé has finally reached the showrooms. It is the flowing lines and sporty handling of this elegant and timeless two-door that really stand out, and when the new 3 Series Coupe hits the streets, a LANXESS (www.lanxess.com) product will be hitching a ride. The vehicle’s fenders are manufactured from Triax® DP 3157, an online coatable polyamide+ABS blend (PA+ABS) for body parts.

The development of this mineral-reinforced material is LANXESS Lustran Polymers business unit’s response to the automobile industry’s increased demand for online coatable thermoplastics. The advantage of Triax® DP 3157 is that its property profile has been customized for use in the manufacture of car bodies. It exhibits high stiffness and heat resistance, reduced water absorption and low thermal expansion.

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The fender made from Triax® DP 3157 is coated online because it can withstand the high temperatures of up to 200 °C that occur during cathodic dip coating (CDC). Thanks to specific product modification, the water absorption behavior has been optimized so that components manufactured from the material can be coated just as well in further coating processes. A further advantage is its relatively low linear thermal expansion, which ensures that low gap tolerances can be maintained between neighboring components.

The fact that the material is very easy to process is another of its selling points – its high flowability is ideal for components with large surface areas. Moreover, the material can be injection molded at mold temperatures of 70 to 80 °C, enabling the use of simple water-cooling for the mold.

The Lustran Polymers business unit is one of the largest suppliers in the industry. ABS specialties from LANXESS include plastics with high mechanical strength, outstanding processing properties and excellent surface quality. LANXESS also offers a wide range of customized, integrally-colored materials and a broad spectrum of products for special applications. Application areas for Lustran® ABS specialties include the electronics, IT, bathroom/sanitary, automotive, toy, and medical technology sectors.

LANXESS AG, Leverkusen

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