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2006-09-12 News Release

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Plastics replacing magnesium in airbags

The plastics material Ultramid, a polyamide from BASF, is replacing the magnesium in a passenger airbag of the Audi Q7.

The housing for the passenger airbag used in the new Audi Q7 is developed by Key Safety Systems, an international automotive supplier, ZF Boge Elastmetall and BASF.

Find Information and Suppliers of automotive airbags.

This is Audi’s first passenger airbag housing made of plastic for its high end models. In its capacity as the module supplier, Key Safety Systems bears responsibility for the overall system while ZF Boge Elastmetall is contributing its know-how in the development, construction and processing of the housing. With its polyamide Ultramid* B3ZG8, BASF is providing the appropriate material for this, and is also instrumental in the simulation of the mechanical strength by supplying the characteristic values of the material under highly dynamic load. As a sport utility vehicle, the Q7 has been designed specifically for the American market and it was launched there in May of 2006.

Passenger airbag housing of Audi’s Q7 made of Ultramid*. Click Go for High resolution image. photo: BASF

The passenger airbag of the new Audi Q7, unlike many others of its kind, is no longer made of magnesium, but rather of plastic. ZF Boge Elastmetall makes this part out of BASF’s Ultramid B3ZG8; Key Safety Systems, as the company supplying the module (tier 1), then integrates all of the safety relevant functions such as igniter, gas cartridge and airbag to create the finished module. The plastic used here contains 40 percent glass fibres, it is tough as well as rigid and considerably easier to process than magnesium.-> ->

So far, Audi had employed the light metal magnesium for the passenger airbag in this vehicle class. However, when it came to the Q7, a new plastic concept has gained the upper hand: the material used here is a polyamide 6 grade specially developed by BASF for airbags. Ultramid B3ZG8 contains 40 percent glass fibers and it has also been impact-modified. As a result, it is sufficiently elastic under cold conditions but also rigid enough at high temperatures. This plastic is easier to process than magnesium and exhibits good flame-retardant behavior.

BASF’s new computation method for parts, the “integrative simulation”, was successfully integrated into the computation method employed by ZF Boge Elastmetall. The high-speed measured data is contributing considerably to a better assessment of the strength of the materials under dynamic stress, thus allowing a greatly improved understanding of the material.

* Ultramid is a registered trademark of BASF.

Key Safety Systems, Inc. belongs to Key Automotive Group and is headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan, U.S.A. It manufactures airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels and other safety systems for vehicles. This company has 36 facilities located in 12 countries.

Find more information about Key Safety Systems, Inc.

ZF Boge Elastmetall GmbH is headquartered in Damme, Germany, it is a subsidiary of ZF Friedrichshafen AG and it develops and manufactures components and systems for vibration damping, for mounting the chassis and the power train as well as engineering plastic components and impact absorbers employed in the realm of car safety.

Find more information about Find more information about ZF Boge Elastmetall GmbH

Read a recent press release about - New research lab inaugurated by technology partners for the advancement of energy management and nanotechnology in the organic electronics market.

Find information about BASF.

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