Bayer MaterialScience acquires intellectual property from Collins & Aikman
Bayer MaterialScience has purchased the thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) related intellectual property rights from Collins & Aikman (C&A). In this way, Bayer MaterialScience is extending its portfolio for TPU molded skins used in instrument panels in the vehicle interior. Financial details of the transaction were not being disclosed.
The intellectual property rights acquired comprise different TPU formulations and patents and the expertise that goes with it. The thermoplastic “size-reduction technologies” developed by C&A were a critical factor in the decision to buy. These “micro-” and “mini-beading” methods lend powder particles a specific shape and a size distribution that enables superior flow in the mold during the melting process. TPU grades produced in this way are ideal for slush molding (sintering), for which Bayer MaterialScience already holds a wide range of patents. This method is used to mass-produce molded skins for instrument panels. The uniform size of the powder particles enables components to be produced in the quality required by the automotive industry when the design includes deep undercuts, sharp radii, surface logos and/or a deep grain.
The formulations are aliphatic TPU grades which are lightfast and therefore do not discolor over time when exposed to UV light. Aliphatics of this kind do not have to be post-painted or in-mold coated, thus saving OEMs and part manufacturers the outlay and expense of applying a coating to the finished instrument panels and interior parts. In the future, Bayer MaterialScience is looking to offer the relevant TPU product in the form of a colored powder that exactly matches the interior colors specified by the OEM.
By acquiring C&A’s know-how, Bayer MaterialScience can now provide a material technology that is deployed in a series of OEM applications for molded skins in car instrument panels. For example, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and various Asian transplants use TPU in current and future vehicle models fitted with invisible passenger airbags. In this design, the molded skin must retain its properties over the entire life cycle of the vehicle. “The surface material for instrument panels must remain ductile even at temperatures of below -30 °C. This is one of the OEMs’ main performance requirements, in order to prevent splintering when the airbag is deployed,” explained Mike Zierden, who heads the TPU Resins Business Unit at Bayer MaterialScience LLC in the U.S. “The new TPU formulation in our portfolio offers superior mechanical properties, including excellent scratch resistance. At the same time it is providing a nice leather-like feel.” The long-term heat resistance of TPU is also superior to most alternative materials.
