Tepex continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials from LANXESS are being used in a child seat headrest developed as a technology demonstrator offering excellent crash performance.
To say that the safety of a child in a car seat is crucial is an understatement. With that in mind, a multi-national research project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the Central Innovation Programme for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) (German acronym: ZIM). Participants in the project also included the Department of Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology (SLK) at Chemnitz University of Technology, Polycomb GmbH and the Polish child seat manufacturer Avionaut.
The partners used LANXESS’s Tepex dynalite 104-FG290(4)/47% thermoplastic composite materials strengthened with two layers of continuous-glass-fiber rovings produced in a particle-foam composite injection molding (PCIM) process to develop a child seat headrest that is much lighter and offers excellent crash performance. A second tool using particle foam based on expanded polypropylene (EPP) is then used to finish the insert.
