Company

INEOS Styrolution asked its experts to answer some of the most common technical questions asked by automotive customers. Here's what they said.

Which welding technologies work with styrenics?

Can styrenics be combined with soft or rigid TP with multi K injection?

Is INEOS Styrolution’s material approved by the OEMs?

What support does INEOS Styrolution provide for the Appearance Approval Process?

Which locations/countries can INEOS Styrolution supply locally?

What kind of unique alloy material does INEOS Styrolution have in its product portfolio?

Which welding technologies work with styrenics?

There are many ways to combine and assemble two parts. However, hot plate, vibration and ultrasonic welding technologies are particularly suitable for styrenics. In addition, laser welding technology is also applicable and frequently used for styrenics. Nowadays, it is often taken into consideration for the precise assembly of 2 parts or materials. For this laser welding technology, INEOS Styrolution developed specific grades based on tailor-made pigment formulations to control the heat absorption of our product for optimum laser welding performance.

Can styrenics be combined with soft or rigid TP with multi K injection?

Multi-cavity injection molding is possible with styrenics when considering a combination of reinforced styrenics, such as glass fiber ABS as a mechanical insert together with aesthetic styrenics like SAN, ABS or ASA. Styrenics are highly compatible with thermoplastic elastomers or polyurethane, thus offering the possibility to create soft/rigid combinations.

Is INEOS Styrolution’s material approved by the OEMs?

INEOS Styrolution has a very long history in the automotive industry. We have submitted and gained approval for most of our automotive grades at almost every single OEM in the world. We have built an internal database of approvals (formal approvals or informal) depending on the OEM product release process. We offer our customers a list of material approvals, and we can provide “certificates of compliance” and “color approval forms” that are used when preparing a PPAP submission in the USA.

What support does INEOS Styrolution provide for the Appearance Approval Process?

INEOS Styrolution provides color support during the AAR (Appearance Approval Report) process which includes color measurement, color adjustments, submission support and data analysis to insure parts receive appearance approval.

Which locations/countries can INEOS Styrolution supply locally?

INEOS Styrolution fully owns manufacturing facilities on every continent which combine compounding and polymerization of our base resins (ASA, ABS) to deliver materials required by the automotive industry locally.

INEOS Styrolution has the largest global footprint of all styrenic materials suppliers – with three manufacturing sites in Asia (Thailand, South Korea and India), three sites in Europe (in the German cities Dormagen, Ludwigshafen, Schwarzheide) and two in North America (USA and Mexico). We offer Novodur®, Luran® S and Terblend® N from local manufacturing sources, wherever our customers may need them. You should, nevertheless, check the availability of specific grades and colors locally, as not every product is produced at every manufacturing site. Therefore, please write or call your sales contact at INEOS Styrolution for more details.

What kind of unique alloy material does INEOS Styrolution have in its product portfolio?

INEOS Styrolution has Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (Novodur®) and polyamide-based thermoplastic polymer blends (Terblend® N), as well as Styrene Acrylonitrile copolymers (Luran® S) and polyamide-based thermoplastic polymer blends (Terblend® S) for automotive interior applications.

These materials offer excellent impact strength at high and low temperatures, reduced shrinkage versus conventional PA materials, high surface quality, easy processing, chemical resistance, heat resistance and acoustic dampening. Additionally, Terblend® S offers an excellent solution for interior parts above the belt line, UV-ray-exposed components for convertibles, and brightly colored assemblies.

INEOS Styrolution also offers blends of ASA with PC (Luran® SC), as well as a portfolio of blends of ABS with PC (Novodur Ultra ABS/PC). These blends provide even greater heat resistance and stiffness, and offer excellent impact strength. They are primarily used for applications with high mechanical requirements in automotive interiors and exteriors.

(2016)