Case study
Makroblend® offers premium quality for automotive exteriors
Premium cars impress consumers with superior style and functionality. Achieving both requires an equally high-performing material. That’s why Audi chose our mineral-reinforced thermoplastic resin Makroblend® to meet the demanding requirements of the A7 spoiler.
Audi had developed a distinctive tailgate for their A7, but the original material did not meet their high performance standards. That’s when the automaker turned to us for help in finding a new solution as well as technical expertise related to part design and the injection molding process for the tailgate complex H-shaped geometry.
The Audi A7 tailgate is composed of two components: a structural part and a cover. For the structural part of the spoiler, Audi sought a material with strength, UV protection and chemical resistance to gasoline and cleaning agents. The cover required a paintable, high-quality, Class A surface with uniform surface quality to match adjacent metal parts, and a low-gap design.
Our Makroblend® UT235 M (PC+PET blend) resin is 15% mineral-filled grade that offers a very low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE), high heat resistance and an excellent surface. The easy flow and easy release properties of the material also considerably reduce scrap – and costs – during production. In addition, we provided technical expertise related to part design and injection molding, resulting in an optimized mold design and cooling system that further enhanced this application.
Why Makroblend® UT235 M was the right solution for the Audi A7 tailgate
- High resistance: Highly resistant against the effects of heat and chemicals.
- Premium quality: Class-A surface for a premium automotive manufacturer.
- Paintable: Ideal for automotive body panels and other exterior applications.
- Minimal gaps: Improved gap control thanks to a low isotropic CLTE.
- Highly robust parts: High E-module for excellent stiffness.
