SABIC Innovative Plastics Closes the Gap on Large Automotive Thermoplastic Body Panels

SABIC Innovative Plastics is closing the gap on large automotive parts with the launch of its next generation conductive Noryl GTX PPO polyamide resin.

As steel prices go up, the SABIC Innovative Plastics Noryl GTX* family of resins continue to go global by “closing the gap” on large automotive parts with the launch of its new next-generation conductive Noryl GTX PPO/polyamide resin. The company’s new Noryl GTX resin delivers 25 percent lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than previous grades, enabling higher-precision gap management for automotive body panels, at the same time helping to reduce overall vehicle weight. Investment in high-performance materials solutions by SABIC Innovative Plastics, such as sheet-metal replacement technologies provides automotive suppliers and OEMs with innovative solutions for improving quality and reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The new conductive Noryl GTX 977 resin grade enhances dimensional stability for consistently precise part alignment in hot weather or sunlight. Improved CTE combined with retention of good impact and stiffness properties makes Noryl GTX resin the ideal candidate for larger vertical body panels such as fenders and tailgate skins where weight savings can be significant.

“As a pioneer in the development of advanced plastics fender technology, we have continually improved Noryl GTX resin over multiple generations to meet the changing needs of our automotive customers,” said Derek Buckmaster, global market director for Automotive Exterior Body & Glazing at SABIC Innovative Plastics. “This new technology offers an improved combination of properties that enable better dimensional tolerances – smaller gaps and improved flushness – while keeping processing costs down.”

Lowering the CTE of a resin through the use of mineral fillers often leads to reduced impact resistance. However, through proprietary technology, the SABIC Innovative Plastics team was able to achieve a significant reduction of Noryl GTX resin’s CTE – dropping 25 percent from nine to seven – while largely maintaining its excellent impact resistance and stiffness. This balance of properties provides enhanced dimensional stability to minimize expansion behavior of large parts in hot weather or strong sunlight without sacrificing the high performance required by body panels.

Unlike competitive solutions that lack conductivity and require either offline painting or primers, Noryl GTX 977 resin is designed for on-line electrostatic painting and delivers a Class A finish. Its conductivity improves paint transfer efficiency and coverage, and it can be processed using e-coats at bake temperatures of 200-210 °C (392-410 °F). As a result, using Noryl GTX resin can help manufacturers reduce time and costs by avoiding the need for special operations and allows them to receive the highest standard of quality and unmatched innovation.

Noryl GTX resin is available worldwide. For more information on Noryl resins from SABIC Innovative Plastics, please visit the company’s website.

* Trademark of SABIC Innovative Plastics.

If you're an employer looking to fill a job opening, click here to find out about posting your job listing through Jobwerx.com.

Discover the best discounts on industrial products from Global Equipment. All featured items contain great instant rebates.

Make sure your PC is adware and spyware free.

Read the Top Headlines.

We will be happy to receive feedback and ideas for new articles! Click Here