VDI-K congress engineering plastics in the automotive sector AKRO-PLASTIC presents itself at the international trade exhibition in Mannheim

The company AKRO-PLASTIC-GmbH, specialist for innovative and application-oriented plastic compounds, repeatedly presents innovative products for applications in the automotive sector at the international trade exhibition within the VDI-congress "Engineering plastics in the automotive sector" in Mannheim on 25th and 26th of March 2009.

Even in 2009, representatives of European automotive,- raw-material and engineering plastic machine producers, suppliers as well as representatives of professorships within the area polymer technology come together in order to continuously strengthen and extent the network in this highly innovative technology sector, being based on partnership. The company AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, situated in Niederzissen, Rhineland- Palatinate, presents both, its innovative product program as well as its high competence regarding services at the trade exhibition, associated to the congress. Thus, the company also offers the possibility of a proven material testing in the in-house test laboratory, being certified by the German Accreditation Council according to DIN EN ISO 17025.

From small orders to full-service: State-of-the-art machines for strand- as well as under-water pelletizing as well as twin screw extruders including variable process lengths demonstrate high competence in production as well as quality within the scope of toll compounding. Development of formulations according to customers' requirements completes the comprehensive service portfolio. The transformation of formulations into saleable standard products as well as special products, produced according to customers' requirements are being offered as an innovative R&D service.

"Especially the highly-innovative technology sector within the automotive production benefits from our flexible as well as service-oriented development of materials", according to Thomas Wutke, sales manager at AKRO-PLASTIC." The substitution of metals has significantly increased within all industrial fields of application during the last years, however, special growth could be primarily observed within the automotive sector. Besides reduction in weight, being considerably important in these days due to high oil prices, a high design freedom as well as an outstanding stiffness are telling arguments for economical as well as technical alternatives in contrast to metals, which have been used up to now.

Applications, striving for a substitution of die-cast metals, are associated with usually unrealizable requirements of engineering plastics, demonstrating that the application of polyamides could only be realized in exceptional cases, even with high reinforced grades with up to 60 %, due to these reduced mechanical features. AKRO-PLASTIC has developed a product with the special blend AKROLOY® PA, based on PA 6.6, significantly reducing the disadvantageous features of a polyamide for the application area metal substitution. One of those features is the moisture absorption, leading to reduction of stiffness, resistance and tensile-creep modulus and consequently to a lower dimensional stability of material.

The recently developed product line AKROMID® (PPA) is particularly suitable for high temperature applications in the engine compartment due to its high temperature- and chemical consistency as well as mechanical resistance. Another new development of AKRO-PLASTIC is the modified product series AKROMID® RM (Reduced Moisture), on a PA 6 basis. The moisture absorption of polyamide could be significantly reduced according to the producer, without influencing all further positive features of the material. Fields of application are for example warpage sensitive housings and plug connectors within the area electronic- and automotive industry.

Up to now, this product series is available with 30 and 50 % glass fibre reinforcement; further types are being developed according to indications of the company.

The company AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH belongs to the Feddersen Group, Hamburg and has a strong, internationally acting distribution partner by its side with the sister company K.D. Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG, situated in Hamburg, a distributer of technical, thermoplastic polymers. Besides the sales team of AKRO-PLASTIC, Patrick Bäßler, leader of application development will be available as contact person for the interested audience.