Processing Services

Making thinner, lighter, smaller parts

As our economy places more focus on efficiency, industry is responding by creating products that are thinner, lighter, and smaller – with the same or more functionality. This trend is playing out in the automotive industry, as OEMs work hard to achieve stringent government fuel consumption goals, as well as in the electronics industry, as we see each smartphone generation become an average of 12% thinner than the generation before.

Developing smaller parts and components creates challenges across the value chain. It places bigger demands on the materials used for fabrication, pushes designers to replicate functionality in a new material or integrate multiple functions into one part, and changes the production process completely. At Envalior, we see these challenges as opportunities.

This is what drives us to continuously develop new material grades that meet specific customer requirements. Whether it’s a material that enables functional integration, or one that can meet performance requirements in a thinner-walled design, our broad portfolio of materials has a solution that enables you to design smaller parts that achieve efficiencies in component count, space, height and cost.

Stanyl ForTii has the proven high performance and high flow grades to meet demanding applications like SMT connectors. Technologies like Laser-Direct-Structuring (LDS) can also be incorporated, allowing integration of electronic functionality in thin-walled 3D injection molded plastic parts, further reducing the part’s size and complexity.

Ask us how we can help you achieve your downsizing goals.

Ensuring extremely narrow tolerances for safety-critical applications

In the ongoing quest to do more with less, some automotive applications prove more challenging than others. These applications require very narrow tolerances for dimensional stability to ensure safe operation of the part over its lifetime. Since plastics have less dimensional stability than metals – particularly over a broad temperature range and with varying humidity levels – many metal to plastic conversions need to contend with additional complexity.

The dimensional stability of plastics is determined in part by the material characteristics, and in part by the production process and tooling. Successful metal to plastic conversions take excellent intrinsic material characteristics like low moisture uptake, and low coefficient of thermal expansion, as well as minimal variation of the material within a batch, and from batch to batch.

Brake booster valve bodies are one application where narrow tolerances are essential for safety. As the heart of the braking system, the brake booster valve body needs to operate reliably and faultlessly for the lifetime of the vehicle. Our portfolio of materials provides proven capabilities on part tolerances and process consistency due to our extremely tight materials specifications, in terms of glass fiber content and molecular weight.

Arnite A is the ideal solution for this application. This 35% glass-fiber reinforced polyethylene terephthalate resin has been used for more than 20 years in more than 300 million vehicles worldwide – without a single reported fault. This optimized material achieves best-in-class dimensional tolerances, and we back all of our material sales with full support through processing, and part and tool design.

Ask us how we can help design your next part with extremely narrow tolerances.

Metal to plastic replacement without the loss of strength, stiffness or fatigue resistance

As car manufacturers continuously focus on reducing weight to improve fuel efficiency, replacing metal parts with plastic remains a key challenge. While the weight reduction can be substantial – and every 100kg weight reduction leads to a 0.3L/100km decrease in fuel consumption[1] – it’s essential to ensure the part has sufficient strength, stiffness and fatigue resistance across the required temperature range.

We use computer-aided engineering (CAE) models to optimize the part design to ensure it meets the required performance standards. In addition to standard structural analysis, we utilize more complex tools, including anisotropic simulation and fatigue modeling with complex loading.

We have numerous examples where we supported our customers through the design phase. This ranges from predicting failure in parts that are submitted to crash loadings – such as airbag housings and structural reinforcements – to predicting fatigue failure of engine mounts at higher temperatures. 

A new addition to our portfolio is ForTii Ace, a material family that retains strength and stiffness at high temperatures, and outperforms any material in the industry. In addition to standard injection molded parts, we also support the design of parts using continuous glass fiber–reinforced tapes.

Ask us about how we can help you successfully convert your metal part to plastic, while maintaining the strength, stiffness and fatigue resistance it needs

[1]On the Road in 2035: Reducing Transportation’s Petroleum Consumption and GHG Emissions. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2008).

Developing solutions that are more cost effective

Plastics offer a solution that is lighter in weight than metal and rubber. In addition, plastics enable the production of parts with complex geometries, meaning its possible to convert a number of components into a single, simplified part. Doing this not only reduces costs, it reduces the chance of failure, since each assembly step or joining point can be a source of error.

With the right design and engineering support, switching to plastics can improve the quality and performance of the part – even in the most challenging under-the-hood environments – while also combining the benefits of weight reduction, fewer processing steps, and overall cost reduction.

When we supported our customer through the development of a hot charge air duct that would be a single, flexible, thermoplastic piece, we delivered a part with lower cost and mass then rubber, fewer potential leak paths versus the previous rubber hose and rigid duct subassembly, and improved performance at high temperatures, high pressures, and with chemical exposure. Our Arnitel HT material delivered excellent property retention at continuous operating temperatures up to 180°C, and thinner walls with up to 50% weight reduction versus rubber.

Our proven case studies show the combined benefit plastics offer to reduce cost and part complexity, reduce weight, and improve quality and performance.

Ask us how we can help you design a thermoplastic part that is simpler and more cost effective.

Light weighting through composites

A family of polyamide-based UD tapes with endless carbon or glass fiber reinforcements are light weight alternatives to metals in several automotive applications. UD tapes, tape-based 2D fabrics, and cross plies are used in structural and semi-structural applications, and in the selective reinforcement of injection molded parts.

Fundamental building blocks of advanced thermoplastic composites

Extreme light weighting of automobiles is one of the most efficient technologies for reducing emissions and improving mileage, and over the last several years, Envalior conducted pilot-scale projects in automotive applications to determine the nature of metal substitution and the optimum cost-to-benefit ratios. The projects showed that decreasing vehicle weight is not just an issue of replacing metal with composites but focuses on utilizing multiple materials to lower automobile curb weight. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers, often referred to as UD tapes, are essential in this approach.

Fundamental building blocks of advanced thermoplastic composites

Akulon, EcoPaXX & ForTii UD tapes based composites are viable lightweight alternatives to metals. These polyamide-based UD tapes with endless carbon or glass fiber reinforcements are utilized in automotive interior and exterior applications. Since polyamide polymers are the mainstay of engineering polymers, the Envalior portfolio is well suited to automotive applications.  UD tapes allow design latitude over other forms and thickness variability across panels with multiple fiber orientations. The matrix polyamide polymer selection is based on surrounding issues of moisture-sensitivity, continuous operating temperatures, resistance to road-salts, battery-acids, hydrogen-permeability, etc. Envalior partners with customers along the total value chain. From raw materials to finished products.

Ensuring stable mechanical properties in the most challenging environments

One of the most challenging environments we work in is under the hood of a car. The parts used in these applications are subjected to high temperatures, broad temperature ranges and corrosive chemicals. Exposure to any of these can have deleterious effects on plastics, yielding reduced mechanical performance. It’s essential that we ensure the parts in these applications have stable performance, and limit degradation to guarantee part reliability.

Our broad portfolio of thermoplastics includes products with excellent chemical stability, whether they are exposes to oil, grease, strong acids, or water glycol. We have also developed products and technologies that enable our materials to perform well at continuous use temperatures that are 30-40°C above the industry standard. This gives OEMs and part manufacturers the peace of mind that their thermoplastic parts will deliver the performance required for the application in even the most challenging environments.

Our Diablo technology (Stanyl Diablo and Akulon Diablo), and Arnitel HT material have been specially developed to cope with long-term exposure to high temperatures. We test these materials in the lab at continuous use temperatures of 230°C for 5000 hours, with minimal degradation. These materials are ideal for the manufacture of parts such as integrated air inlet manifolds, charged air ducts and resonators.

Ask us today how we can ensure your thermoplastic parts perform in the most challenging environments.

Reducing vehicle noise to improve safety and the driving experience

Today’s cars are 90% quieter than cars from the 1970s, when vehicle noise first began to be legislated. OEMs are also increasingly focused on improving the driving experience. This requires the reduction or elimination of noise, vibration and harshness. Low-frequency road noise has been shown to induce driver fatigue, so improving acoustic control has become a key objective for car manufacturers.

NVH performance is a complex interaction between the design of the part, the material characteristics, and the environment surrounding the part. We can improve on NVH by optimizing the design, the material or a combination of the two. We have supported our customer through the design optimization of an oil pan in plastic, which resulted in a clear improvement over the traditional metal design. With another customer, we developed specific material solutions in Arnitel to prevent a squeaking noise under wet conditions in CVJ boots for significantly longer times in the field than competitive solutions. Ask us how we can help you reduced noise, vibration and harshness in your application.

Reducing the effects of wear and friction

As car manufacturers seek to meet more strict legislation on tailgate emissions, a key area of focus is the reduction of wear and friction in the engine and transmission. Reducing friction as much as possible leads to engines that run more smoothly, and that are more fuel efficient. Our research teams have transformed their many years of experience studying the effects of wear and friction on plastics to develop special material types with high abrasion resistance and low friction at elevated temperatures. These Stanyl grades are ideal for chain tensioners in engine timing systems, and deliver up to 1% reduction in fuel consumption versus polyamide 66.

With a 20% lower coefficient of friction compared with commercial PA66, Stanyl delivers the lowest friction of any plastic when lubricated with engine oil. The material also provides the best wear and fatigue performance in engine timing systems – up to seven times longer than PA66. With high stiffness and strength, and excellent flow capabilities, the material is an essential part of our portfolio for applications where wear and friction are a primary concern.

Ask us how we can help you reduce wear and friction in your critical parts.

Ensuring excellent look and feel for wearable technology

In some consumer electronics applications, key characteristics of the plastic material are haptics and aesthetics – how they look and feel. Smartwatches and fitness trackers are two examples where consumers expect an attractive appearance, and a comfortable feel against the skin. During the use of the product, consumers also expect the part to be stain and scratch resistant, and to have no discoloration from exposure to UV.

Our research teams have studied the haptics of our materials to develop special grades that are durable with excellent look and feel. Our Arnitel TPC product is ideal for straps on wearable technologies like fitness trackers due to its good color and UV stability, good surface finishing, excellent mechanical properties at low and high temperatures, and high-quality look and feel. Arnitel allows for the design of elegant products in a wide array of colors – from very light to vibrant hues. Available in a halogen-free flame retardant grade, it also demonstrates good resistance to sebum and chemicals, as well as excellent production consistency.

Ask us how we can help you design elegant wearables with excellent haptics and aesthetics.

Balancing barrier and permeation properties for numerous applications

Understanding how compounds with low molecular weight migrate across plastic is important for many applications. Barrier properties can be used to keep food fresher for longer, and permeation properties help keep surgeons cool and comfortable through long surgeries. Predicting the barrier and permeation behavior as a function of the material and the conditions for use is key to designing an effective part.

Our broad portfolio of materials includes plastics with excellent barrier and permeation properties for a wide variety of needs. Our Arnitel VT product combines liquid water barrier properties with high breathability (permeability to water vapor) for medical gowns that keep surgeons comfortable while protecting form fluids. In the food industry, we can keep food fresh for longer with plastic films that protect against oxygen crossing the barrier.

Akulon Fuel Lock has intrinsic high barrier properties against the low molecular weight components of today’s fuels. It eliminates the need for a barrier layer or surface coating in the small petrol tanks used on outdoor equipment. We support our customers through the design and production of all these barrier and permeation applications, including using CAE to determine minimal wall thicknesses.

Ask us how we can help with your next barrier and permeation challenge.

Flame retardancy that’s safer for the environment

As the electronics industry moved to capture more computing power into smaller spaces, it puts bigger demands on the materials used to manufacture the various parts. The engineering plastics used in these parts often have to comply with strict flame retardancy requirements, for example UL94 ratings, as well as looking to solutions that are more environmentally friendly, such as halogen-free flame retardant additives.

Our researchers have spent many years studying the flame retardancy behavior of the plastics in our portfolio, leading to the development of numerous halogen-free flame retardant grades across all our major product lines. This includes Akulon, Arnite, Arnitel, EcoPaXX, Stanyl and ForTii. Whether it’s for USB-C connectors, DDR4 connectors or low voltage switch gears, our materials ensure the flame retardancy your products need in a product with low environmental impact.

Improved equipment lifetime

High temperature engineering plastics containing glass fibers and flame retardants have the tendency to cause abrasive wear and corrosion on molding and extrusion equipment. This is not limited to the materials in the Envalior portfolio. Successful trials with a treatment known as chromizing, clearly show a significant improvement in both abrasive wear and corrosion. The immediate effect is a longer life time for molding and extrusion screws including tips and check valves as well as other components like for instance nozzles, tips and needles of hot runner systems. Chromizing is a well-known, existing and commercially available surface treatment to improve wear and corrosion resistance for steel parts.

Ask us how we can help ensure your electronics meet safety standards for flame retardancy.

Reducing Electro Corrosion

As automotive electronics become more powerful and complex, they generate higher power levels and more heat, increasing the risk of electrical failure and fire. Often, ionic additives, such as inorganic heat stabilizers or red phosphorous flame retardants are used to improve the thermal and flame retardant performance of the plastic components.

As these components degrade, additives can form acids that corrode electrical contacts after prolonged exposure to heat and moisture. This may cause an electronic component to fail or change its characteristics, potentially compromising a key vehicle safety feature, such as a sensor, which may lead to severe consequences for your brand. 

For electrical systems, it is important to choose thermoplastic materials that will not cause corrosion or rely on halide additives or red phosphorous for their thermal and flame retardant capabilities. By limiting halides (<50–100 ppm) in connectors, sensors, ECUs and PCUs, electro corrosion can be avoided. Envalior offers a broad portfolio of materials that are halide free, enabling manufacturers to minimize the risk of electrochemical corrosion. 

Ensuring successful commercial production of your innovative designs

Designing an innovative part is only one step in the process. Once you have the part design and the material grade selected, and you have successfully manufactured the part in the lab, you need to roll it out for commercial production. This next phase can lead to new challenges, however we support our customers every step of the way.

We support our customers with recommendations for the production of their specific product or component. Whether it is produced via injection molding, blow molding or extrusion, we provide an information pack for our materials consisting of processing guidelines, production equipment recommendations, material handling and drying recommendations, and material safety data sets.

This provides you with all the information you need to ensure the successful commercial production of your newly developed part – with support from our team of experts at every stage of the process.

Ask us how we can help you roll out your innovative design.

Supporting you through secondary operations like gluing and welding

New part designs made from engineering plastics are often able to bypass or reduce the number of secondary processing steps. When the manufacture of your part does require secondary operations such as welding and gluing, we provide recommendations for the specific grade under consideration to ensure a safe and reliable end product.

Welding is an effective method of permanently joining together plastic components. It works on the principle of a phase change from solid to liquid (either through melting or in solution), followed by a solidification phase at the interfaces to be joined. Depending on your product’s needs, we provide recommendations on different welding techniques, with the aim to ensure the strongest possible weld line. While there are a variety of welding techniques, they can be distinguished into two main types: friction welding and welding via an external heat source.

Gluing is an effective method of assembling plastic parts with permanent connections. It provides for joints that have a clean aesthetic with low weight and sufficiently strong connections. Gluing is especially beneficial with plastics that are sensitive to heat, where welding techniques would case the plastic material to deform. Whether you use solvent bonding, adhesive bonding, or double-sided tape, we provide recommendations on the best gluing method based on the part design and material selected.

Ask us how we can support you through secondary operations, like gluing and welding, in the production of your part.

Ensuring the best possible result for secondary operations like printing and painting

While many new parts designed to be manufactured from engineering plastics can bypass or reduce the number of secondary processing steps, some parts still require operations such as painting and printing. We provide our customers with recommendations for the specific grade under consideration to ensure a reliable and effective end product.

While many parts can be molded directly in the desired color, painting and coating are still used for a number of reasons, including:

• Aesthetics (to hide irregularities in the substrate or color-match with adjacent parts)
• Improved chemical, abrasion of UV resistance
• Electrical conductivity
• Electromagnetic shielding
• Versatility of styling
• Manufacturing convenience

Since some paints can affect the brittleness of some plastics, we provide our customers with a full set of recommendations for painting, depending on the material selected, and the design of the part.

Parts made from our engineering plastics can be printed to provide a decorative pattern, logo or lettering. Since some inks on ductile plastics can result in brittleness during impact loading, we provide a full set of recommendations depending on the material and printing technique used.

Ask us how we can help ensure the best possible result for secondary operations like printing and painting.

Meeting industry standards and regulations

Once you are ready to commercialize your part, you also need to ensure it complies with relevant industry standards and regulations. Navigating compliance requirements and documentation is a challenge of its own.

Our in-house Regulatory Affairs department has the experience you need to support you through this journey. We provide a full set of compliance documentation – including material safety data sheets, UL statements, and IMDS statements – and support you through your organization’s quality assurance process. In addition, our lab is UL certified as an external test laboratory, and many of our compliance documents are available to our customers via our PlasticsFinder tool.

Ask us how we can support you through meeting the regulatory requirements of your part.

Supporting you through regulatory testing and certification

Safety is a key concern whenever plastics and electronics meet, and in today’s digitized world, that happens with increasing frequency. While requirements and regulations for electronic products have become more strict, you can significantly reduce testing requirements for your end products when you work with materials that have already been certified to the highest standards.

Our team is intimately familiar with the time and effort required for testing and certification –particularly in products that combine a number of materials and components. That’s why we have developed the necessary competences to help our customers successfully navigate testing and certification requirements, and why our internal facilities are UL-certified. This enables us to sell products with the yellow cards that confirm they are recognized by UL and safe for electrical and electronics applications.

We are currently UL-certified for the following tests:

• UL94 V and 5V Vertical Burning * Impact Strength
• UL94 HB Horizontal Burning • Dielectric Strength
• Glow Wire Flammability Index (GWFI) • Ball Pressure
• Glow Wire Ignition Temperature (GWIT) * Relative Temperature Index (RTI)
• Hot Wire Ignition (HWI) • Infrared
• Tensile strength

Ask us how we can help support you through regulatory testing and certification.

Supporting you through your product’s life cycle analysis

When we talk about Imagine the Future, one of the core ideas we’re expressing is our concern for sustainability. That’s why we have integrated green design into our business. One of the key competences that ensures we are efficient and effective is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

In Life Cycle Assessment, we look at the total impact a product has from cradle to grave. At Envalior, we do this evaluation focused on four key sustainability pillars: safety, eco-efficiency, renewable resources, and recyclability. This enables us to collect clear, measurable information about the entire environmental footprint of our solutions. It also makes it possible to provide customers with sound, reliable, primary data they can use to make their calculations, apply for certifications, validate marketing claims, and make sound business decisions in terms of sustainability.

LCA relies heavily on impartial measurement. That’s why we expertly monitor our operational impact on water, emissions, and other areas. As the industry deanded more extensive insight, data and standards in sustainability, our tracking and predictive abilities have rapidly evolved into a professional and respected LCA competence.

Ask us how we can support you through your product’s life cycle analysis.