Sep 18 2008
Under the motto “Explore Your Imagination” Bayer MaterialScience presents environmentally friendly and lightweight materials and applications at the 14th China International Composite Industrial Technical Expo from 17-19 September, 2008, at Shanghai Mart.
In particular BaySystems® Composite Systems offers users a virtually unlimited range of application options. BaySystems® is the umbrella brand for Bayer MaterialScience´s global polyurethane systems business and also stands for close partnerships with customers and customized solutions with polyurethane systems.
“In China alone, the annual increase in demand for composite materials has exceeded 10 percent for many years. Composites are high-tech materials: They combine the features of several compounds to an overall solution with an unique and outstanding new property profile. The most impressive applications are the automotive and transport industries, but due to short supply, and the high prices of energy, auto makers are trying every means to make automobiles more compact. Therefore automobile parts which are lightweight, have excellent dimensional stability, and high strength and toughness, are in high demand, to ensure fuel consumption and CO2 emissions reduction,” said Mr. Benjamin Lau, Regional Marketing Director for BaySystems® Automotive, Asia Pacific, “An example is the load floor of the Volkswagen Tiguan that is made of a lightweight but very strong and rigid composite element manufactured with the Baypreg® F polyurethane spray system.”
Another new example of the advantages of composite sandwich materials is a stage. Transporting and assembling heavy stage platforms can involve a lot of heavy lifting, causing back problems. The composite sandwich stage platform is lightweight and extremely stiff. It is now available with external dimensions of 0.75 by 1.50 metres, and weighing only 16.5 kilograms but able to withstand 150 kg. The stage platform consists of a light rigid foam core reinforced both at the top and the bottom with flax mats to absorb tensile forces, increasing the strength of the composite. The low weight of the stackable and compact sections is due to a sandwich structure based on the Baypreg® polyurethane spray system.
“As partner of choice for innovative technologies of the composite industry, we’ve been proving that our polyurethane spray systems are the ideal solution for customers who want to be prepared for the competition of the future. Baypreg® and Multitec® are customized solutions for the transportation, construction, furniture, sanitary, sports and leisure industries as well as many other sectors,” said Dr. Thomas Braig, Marketing Director for BaySystems® Diversified Industries in AsiaPacific.
Baypreg® is a tough and lightweight material for composite production. It is suitable for all compression moulding processes, compatible with a wide variety of core materials such as paper honeycombs, and can be processed with many reinforcing fibre materials such as natural fibres. Baypreg® F sandwich composites are made of paper honeycombs or glass fibre mats, have good mechanical properties, and are lightweight and reinforced with natural fibres.
Multitec® is used for building high quality reinforced structures. It is the alternative material to conventional glass fibre reinforced plastics. The product gives designers a high freedom of design. Moreover, it can provide high productivity with the necessary structural support. Multitec® Advanced Foam is a recent development which provides easy process and cost effectiveness.
Bayer MaterialScience has set up a spray competency centre in Shanghai to demonstrate its expertise in polyurethane spray technology in the Asia Pacific. The spray competency centre is located in Bayer MaterialScience’s Polymer Research & Development Centre (PRDC) in Shanghai.
“Our PRDC facilities reflect the company’s continuous commitment to innovation and customised service: we bring together our advanced polyurethane spray systems and state-of-the-art machines. For both Baypreg® and Multitec® polyurethane systems, we provide a comprehensive and high-tech platform to our customers for ideal solutions,” concluded by Dr. Braig.