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Volkswagen uses front car carrier made of BASF's Ultramid

15 Oct '15

2 min read

The Volkswagen Group has selected the front end carrier made from the BASF plastic Ultramid in the new Passat and Sharan models.

It is the world's first front end carrier without metal reinforcement. BASF's polyamide 6 helps to ensure that the two front end carriers are considerably lighter than the previous models and save installation time as well as costs. The globally available polyamide 6 grade is manufactured at certified production sites with process-oriented quality management. BASF thus meets the requirements that car manufacturers have in terms of cost efficiency, reliable supply, and flexibility.

The new Passat has been named the European “Car of the Year” 2015 because of its innovations regarding safety, design, and overall quality, among other things. The front end carrier in the Passat is the largest polyamide part in the vehicle and weighs around 2.6 kg. The Ultramid B3WG8 used is reinforced with 40 per cent glass fibres and boasts an excellent combination of fatigue and endurance strength. This means that the plastic part shows the correct dynamic stiffness at defined locations and also meets the car maker's specifications for crash acceleration and vibration behaviour of the whole front end and radiator system.

The proportions of the Passat have been interpreted much more dynamically: with a lower body, a longer wheelbase, and larger wheels, among other features. The plastic front end carrier contributes to these innovations by being much more slender than its predecessor and making optimum use of the tight installation space, according to a press release. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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