Fakuma 2023 held Oct. 15-19, 2023, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, has drawn to a close. Approximately 21,000 attendees and 1,500 exhibitors, including Envalior, were at the trade show. At our booth, we unveiled our cutting-edge material and technology solutions, catering to the future's most crucial trends, including sustainability, mobility and digitization.
Fakuma 2023, the world's leading trade event for industrial plastics processing, held Oct. 15-19, 2023, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, has drawn to a close. It was an impressive event with approximately 21,000 attendees and 1,500 exhibitors, including Envalior. At our booth, we unveiled our cutting-edge material and technology solutions, catering to the future's most crucial trends: sustainability, electric and fuel-cell mobility, autonomous driving, lightweight design, alternative energy generation and digitalization.
We showcased a variety of sustainable materials, offering high-performance alternatives to traditional fossil-based products. On display were outdoor jackets and DiFold bottles crafted from Arnitel® TPC B-MB bio-based thermoplastic copolyesters; faucets made from the castor oil-based polyamide 410 compound EcoPaXX®; and innovative switches and sockets from Schneider Electric’s Merten Ocean Plastic model series, using Akulon® RePurposed. We even showcased a prototype lightweight passenger-car seat shell primarily crafted from renewable flax fibers and a surfboard fin made from Durethan® BLUEBKV30H2.0.
During the trade show, we showcased our comprehensive sustainability tool to booth visitors. The tool delves into our products, processes, and projects along our entire value chain. It is in line with our commitment to enhancing our environmental impact—we have diligently assessed and continue to assess our value chain to uncover opportunities and initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions and fostering a positive environmental influence.
“With these solutions, we aim to further boost the development of climate-friendly and resource-efficient material cycles, thus advancing the transformation from a linear economy to a circular one,” said Giorgio Coppolino, Commercial Director of Europe at Envalior. Consequently, Envalior aims to offer mass-balanced bio-based or recycled material variants of its entire product range by 2030. This measure is intended to help make Envalior climate neutral.
Another prominent topic at our booth during Fakuma was E-mobility, with a growing emphasis on materials meeting stringent requirements, such as flame retardancy, particularly for battery housings. Aluminum has been the traditional choice for high-voltage (HV) battery housings, but it provides little thermal runaway protection.
The innovative solution Tepex®, a thermoplastic-based fiber composite, was showcased. It offers a lightweight alternative with significant benefits, including enhanced functional integration and reduced processing and assembly costs. Tepex excels in meeting flame retardancy requirements and even passes the most challenging thermal runaway tests.
We also showcased XytronTM, developed for proton-exchange membranes of fuel cells, it is a modified polyphylene sulfide compound from which only an extremely small number of ions are washed out. In addition, the highly hydrolytically stable material enables membranes with a high weld-line strength. Plus, it enables fuel cells to be produced safely, reliably and cost-effectively. The material has major potential for application in heavy-goods vehicles or the production of hydrogen for a sustainable energy industry.
Also showcased at our booth were FAKRA connectors made of ForTii® ACE polyphthalamide compounds. These connectors are used in automotive electronics—for instance in driver assistance system sensors and connectivity components, such as antennas and navigation systems. They cannot absorb moisture, they must have high resistance to mechanical and thermal loads, plus high tracking resistance and dielectric strength, along with color and dimensional stability.
ForTii® ACE meets all these requirements and is the only polyamide worldwide that fulfills the JEDEC MSL1 standard. That is why connectors made from the material do not need special packaging to protect them against moisture. Instead, they are suitable for almost unlimited storage in the open.
Last, but not least, on Oct. 18 we had a special visitor to our booth – we welcomed the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Silke Krebs.
Dr. Thomas Brackemeyer, VP Business for Performance Materials at Envalior, explained to Krebs that Envalior's broad product portfolio offers sustainable solutions for many key industries like mobility, E&E and consumer goods. We, as Envalior, are proud of the significant value we bring to our customers and the greater society through our extensive portfolio of long-standing material, application, and design expertise.
To learn more about the products and services showcased at our Fakuma booth, visit https://envalior.com/products-services/.
Envalior, formerly Envalior and Lanxess HPM, is a global leader in material solutions, developed to meet a wide variety of technical challenges in mobility, making electric vehicles safer, lighter and more sustainable. Envalior offers a robust portfolio of materials built to support next-generation technologies across a broad range of global industries, including automotive and electronics. Our solutions are backed by extensive research, testing and collaboration with OEMs and tier suppliers, to deliver on all your safety, reliability and design flexibility needs.
Global Manager of Messaging and Content Development
Candace Roulo is Global Manager of Messaging and Content Development for Envalior. Based in Troy, Michigan, she specializes in writing blogs and articles about advanced materials solutions. Prior to joining Envalior, Candace served in editorial roles at SME and Penton Media. Candace earned her bachelor’s degree in communication, specializing in public relations, at Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
31 October 2023
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