Seattle, WA, USA--(Jobwerx News)--DSM Engineering Plastics, Akulon UltraFlow, selected by Quadrant CMS, provides significantly faster molding for tanning solarium hinge assemblies.

Belgium-based Quadrant CMS, a major European design, injection molding, assembly and logistics company, selected Akulon® UltraFlow® K-FG12 polyamide 6 (PA6) from DSM Engineering Plastics to mold hinge assemblies of a consumer market full-body tanning solarium for Philips Consumer Products. Akulon PA6 provides significantly faster molding, better surface finish and the ability to take on a broader range of color than the conventional glass-filled PA6 grade it replaced.

Quadrant CMS injection molders, together with the customer, designs and develops parts simultaneously. A powerful CAD/CAM system and in-house mold construction enable CMS to keep up with the state-of-the-art tools and prototyping. Quadrant CMS targets the following markets : automotive, mechanical, electrical/electronic and medical devices.

Akulon UltraFlow K-FG12, a 60-percent glass-filled formulation, meets the need for high strength and stiffness, as the ratchet-like hinge must support the solarium’s 50+ kg top at various angles. The high flow characteristics of Akulon UltraFlow also proved important, both to fill the hinge’s intricate ribs and geometry, and to ensure moldability at temperatures low enough to permit a broad range of color masterbatches.

“We worked with the Quadrant CMS design team to find the right combination of mechanical strength, surface finish and colour,” said Wim Dirven, Account Manager for DSM Engineering Plastics. “UltraFlow in this case preserves surface aesthetics despite the heavy glass loading, and it helps prevent warpage. A plus is its capability to fill molds at relatively low temperatures, so that a broader range of colors can be used—color and aesthetics are particularly important in consumer products.”

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DSM Engineering Plastics DSM Engineering Plastics is a business group forming part of DSM's Performance Materials cluster. DSM Engineering Plastics is a global supplier of Stanyl PA46 and Akulon® 6 and 66 polyamides, Arnitel® TPE-E, Arnite® PBT and PET polyesters, Xantar® polycarbonate, Yparex® extrudable adhesive resins, and Stamylan® UH Ultra High Molecular Weight PE. These materials are used in technical components for electrical appliances, electronic equipment and cars, in barrier packaging films as well as in many mechanical and extrusion applications. The business group had annual sales of EUR 624 million in 2004. With Stanyl, it is the global market leader in high-heat polyamides.