Case study
Baysafe® EA for enhanced automotive passenger protection
Our Baysafe® EA Polyurethane (PU) foam enabled THIEME, a leader in the manufacture of energy absorbing parts, to deliver superior accident protection parts for vehicle passengers to various automotive car manufacturers. The parts combine high energy absorption with lightweight at low wall thicknesses.
THIEME, a specialist in PU molded parts production, required an energy-absorbing material for automotive safety applications. Their customers needed parts that could protect vehicle passengers during collisions. The task was to provide a PU foam material tailored for passive safety in vehicles. The material needed to provide excellent energy absorption, perform reliably across a wide temperature range, and be easily moldable while maintaining dimensional stability.
Automotive safety components must function in various accident scenarios and installation locations throughout the vehicle to provide e.g. head, knee, and side impact protection. The challenge was to develop a PU foam with consistent performance for different impact directions which could be molded into complex shapes to fit limited spaces. It also needed to maintain its properties across a wide temperature range (−30 °C to +80 °C), be lightweight, and enable cost-effective production.
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Head impact protection -
Knee impact protection -
Side impact protection
Baysafe® EA (Energy Absorption) PU foam presents the ideal solution for THIEME. Its foam structure effectively converts crash energy into foam cell deformation and heat across a wide range of temperatures. It offers low densities (50 to 120 kg/m³) while exhibiting excellent processability. Due to the versatility of Baysafe® EA, THIEME was able to deliver automotive manufacturers various applications for knee, head, and side impact protection, contributing to enhanced vehicle passenger safety.
Key benefits
- Energy absorbing: Effective energy absorption regardless of impact direction
- Temperature stable: Consistent performance across various temperatures (−30 °C to +80 °C
- Lightweight: Lightweight solution with densities from 50 to 120 kg/m³
- Durable: Excellent dimensional stability for long-term performance
- Part complexity: Adaptable to complex geometries through efficient molding processes
