PA grades for auto exterior parts eliminate the need for painting

• UV-stabilized & glass fiber reinforced PA6 grades
• Very good surface quality, no need for painting
• Application: exterior automotive

Painting provides a high quality surface, and also serves to protect the substrate from weathering. However, the painting stage in the production of automotive components is very costly. As a result, car makers aim to eliminate paint wherever possible. To address this trend, the company Royal DSM is extending its portfolio of UV-stabilized grades of its glass fiber reinforced Akulon polyamide 6 for exterior automotive parts that require very good surface quality even when unpainted. The company will unveil these new grades at the JSAE Automotive Engineering Exposition, taking place on May 21-23 in Yokohama, Japan. The new grades are particularly suitable for complex-shaped parts, such as exterior mirror bases and also for parts made using gas-assist injection molding technology, such as door handles. DSM is initially introducing two new Akulon PA6 grades. The first, originally developed for exterior mirror bases, is highly glass-filled (50% fiber), and yet it still yields parts with very good surface quality and UV resistance. Trials in a number of different designs have shown that even in complex designs a very good surface quality is achievable. The second grade, intended for door handles, contains 30% glass fiber reinforcement and is particularly suitable for parts produced using gas-assist injection molding technology. DSM developed these new grades on the request of a leading system supplier in India who was looking for a new material for the base of unpainted external mirrors it produces for a Japanese car company.