Sunday, February 27, 2011

Bayer Material Science - Polycarbonate tailgate with backlite
















I have recently teamed up with Bayer Material Science to develop a new prototype concept for automotive glazing.

Makrolon® polycarbonate is opening up completely new styling options in the automotive industry for the design of tailgate modules. This is demonstrated by the prototype concept of a complete, single-part tailgate with integrated backlite developed by Bayer Material Science. Unlike the conventional design involving a metal carrier and a glass window inserted in it, the part has a completely seamless outer skin consisting of coated polycarbonate. Non-transparent areas are either backprinted in a dark color or back-injected with a black frame material using two-component injection molding. The concept sets out to demonstrate the enormous design freedom offered by Makrolon® compared with glass and metal for giving the rear of the vehicle a distinctive appearance. According to estimates of the Bayer MaterialScience, a weight saving of around 30-40 percent is achieved with the Makrolon® part compared with the same part made of metal and glass.

more information: www.bayermaterialscience.com