Apr 2, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Trinseo Launches Lightweight ABS LGF for Semi-Structural Automotive Parts

Trinseo (NYSE: TSE), a global material solutions provider and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber, announces its innovative lightweight plastic that can replace metal in semi-structural components, providing up to 30 percent weight savings compared to magnesium or aluminum. The Company will present its new long-glass-fiber-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS LGF) alloy at VDI’s Plastics in Automotive Engineering (PIAE) conference, held April 3-4, 2019 in Mannheim, Germany.

In the past, car makers looking for stable and reliable materials for structural components have opted for conventional steel, magnesium, or aluminum. Trinseo’s new ABS LGF enables high dimensional stability and high stiffness, making it the lightweight alternative for semi-structural components. As a structural polymer, the ABS LGF composite offers not only lower weight than magnesium, but also low VOC and low odor properties, and enables faster production cycle times.

Trinseo’s new ABS LGF has already been proven for performance after being used as an alternative to magnesium in an instrument carrier in the new BMW 3 Series. Working in co-operation with Tier One supplier Dräxlmaier, Trinseo was able to optimize the behavior of the material in terms of stiffness, warpage, crash and head impact, creating very narrow tolerances, and stability of the final component.

“With this new ABS LGF alloy product, we have developed a thermoplastic composite that combines high stiffness over a broad temperature range with high dimensional stability, which facilitates lighter weight designs in comparison to aluminum and magnesium,” said Norwin van Riel, Technology Leader at Trinseo. “Automotive manufacturers are increasingly looking to reduce vehicle weight without affecting stability. Our new lightweight plastic solution offers an easy processing and lightweight solution.”

On Thursday, April 4, 2019, at 12:05 p.m., Trinseo will present the new material solution together with Dräxlmaier at VDI’s Plastics in Automotive Engineering conference. Their joint presentation is titled “30% weight savings and process improvement with a new LGF ABS Alloy material replacing metal for an instrument carrier and enabling a high dimensionally stable part” and is dedicated to a cooperative development of an innovative lightweight semi-structural automotive part. The presentation will also highlight how the new material leads to improvements in the manufacturing process.

About Trinseo

Trinseo (NYSE:TSE) is a global materials solutions provider and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber. We are focused on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to help our customers create products that touch lives every day — products that are intrinsic to how we live our lives — across a wide range of end-markets, including automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, medical devices, lighting, electrical, carpet, paper and board, building and construction, and tires. Trinseo had approximately $4.6 billion in net sales in 2018, with 16 manufacturing sites around the world, and approximately 2,500 employees. For more information visit www.trinseo.com.

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