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Headlamp makers choose BMC
APPLICAT Lightweight sandwich panel cuts weight of ships used for acoustic panels or insulation purposes. Some of Metalleido’s products are currently undergoing trials: truck door panels made from epoxy and aluminium skins in Japan; train floors made from phenolic in Belgium; and bus floors in The Netherlands. The automatic equipment used to make the MITLIGHT panels is patented. The three-dimensional glass fibre fabric
This shelf and drawer unit for a ship is made from phenolic MITLIGHTpanels.
ITALIAN company Metalleido has begun to develop applications for its MITLIGHT composite sandwich panels (see Reinforced Plastics, April 1995, page 36). The lightweight panels, which are intended to compete with honeycomb, are said to be cheaper. They have very good impact absorption and delamination resistance up to four times that of honeycombs. At the recent JEC exhibition, Metalleido unveiled its ship furniture which is made from phenolic resin MITLIGHT panels. Not only is the furniture much lighter than wood versions, it is flame retardant and does not give off toxic fumes if burnt. A cupboard made from 20 mm MITLIGHT panels weighs only 3 kg/m2 compared with a wooden version made from the same thickness which weighs panels 14-15 kg/m’. When lac-
Reinforced Plastics June
1995
quered, the MITLIGHT cupboard weighs 25 kg, compared with a lacquered wooden version which weighs 67 kg. Such a weight saving is obviously of interest to marine industry, the particularly in the high speed craft business where low weight equals faster speeds. At present the company is making panels from epoxy and phenolic resins. Variations are also possible: aluminium skins can be combined with epoxy resins; wood and marble effect versions are made with melamine skins; and carbon fibre based grades can be produced for extra strength. Foam-filled panels are
sandwich is impregnated with resin and stretched before curing. The fibres are stretched vertically to give the panel its strength. Because the fibres form both the upper and lower side of the panel, no delaminations are seen as with honeycomb, says research and development manager Luigi Lambardi. Standard tibre lengths are 3-25 mm. However, longer fibres will be used (5080 mm) in the future. Extra skin layers, such as aluminium, glass fibre, carbon, aramid and polymer, can be added in the same one-step production process. Metalleido srl; tel: + 39 IO-8360296; fax: + 39 IO- 8365263.
Headlamp makers choose BMC CAR HEADLAMP parts consume 45 000 tonnes of bulk moulding compound (BMC) a year, worldwide, according to BASF. The German resin producer says BMC is now the material of choice for headlamp surrounds in most new cars. This is because it does not warp at the high temperatures caused by the headlamp bulbs. A surround which warps will distort the reflected light beam. BMC also allows much more versatile headlamp design than metal, says BASF. Some of the BMC units currently manufactured were shown on the firm’s stand at JEC. These included a dual-lens unit for the new Mercedes W2 10 mid-size car due for release in September 1995, and units used on the Porsche 911, S-class Mercedes coupe and new BMW 7 series. Other models using BMC headlamps include the Fiat Tipo and the Opel Omega, as well as several cars from Alfa Romeo. Headlamp manufacturers such as Bosch, Hella, Valeo and the Carella division of Magnetti Marelli are all customers for BMC headlamp surrounds. Suppliers of BMC include Menzolit France (see pages 40-42) for whom it represents an important market, says BASF. The surrounds are fabricated by injection moulding the BMC. The highly reflective surface is obtained by lacquering the part then applying an aluminium vapour layer.
This shelf and drawer unit for a ship is made from phenolic MITLIGHTpanels.
ITALIAN company Metalleido has begun to develop applications for its MITLIGHT composite sandwich panels (see Reinforced Plastics, April 1995, page 36). The lightweight panels, which are intended to compete with honeycomb, are said to be cheaper. They have very good impact absorption and delamination resistance up to four times that of honeycombs. At the recent JEC exhibition, Metalleido unveiled its ship furniture which is made from phenolic resin MITLIGHT panels. Not only is the furniture much lighter than wood versions, it is flame retardant and does not give off toxic fumes if burnt. A cupboard made from 20 mm MITLIGHT panels weighs only 3 kg/m2 compared with a wooden version made from the same thickness which weighs panels 14-15 kg/m’. When lac-
Reinforced Plastics June
1995
quered, the MITLIGHT cupboard weighs 25 kg, compared with a lacquered wooden version which weighs 67 kg. Such a weight saving is obviously of interest to marine industry, the particularly in the high speed craft business where low weight equals faster speeds. At present the company is making panels from epoxy and phenolic resins. Variations are also possible: aluminium skins can be combined with epoxy resins; wood and marble effect versions are made with melamine skins; and carbon fibre based grades can be produced for extra strength. Foam-filled panels are
sandwich is impregnated with resin and stretched before curing. The fibres are stretched vertically to give the panel its strength. Because the fibres form both the upper and lower side of the panel, no delaminations are seen as with honeycomb, says research and development manager Luigi Lambardi. Standard tibre lengths are 3-25 mm. However, longer fibres will be used (5080 mm) in the future. Extra skin layers, such as aluminium, glass fibre, carbon, aramid and polymer, can be added in the same one-step production process. Metalleido srl; tel: + 39 IO-8360296; fax: + 39 IO- 8365263.
Headlamp makers choose BMC CAR HEADLAMP parts consume 45 000 tonnes of bulk moulding compound (BMC) a year, worldwide, according to BASF. The German resin producer says BMC is now the material of choice for headlamp surrounds in most new cars. This is because it does not warp at the high temperatures caused by the headlamp bulbs. A surround which warps will distort the reflected light beam. BMC also allows much more versatile headlamp design than metal, says BASF. Some of the BMC units currently manufactured were shown on the firm’s stand at JEC. These included a dual-lens unit for the new Mercedes W2 10 mid-size car due for release in September 1995, and units used on the Porsche 911, S-class Mercedes coupe and new BMW 7 series. Other models using BMC headlamps include the Fiat Tipo and the Opel Omega, as well as several cars from Alfa Romeo. Headlamp manufacturers such as Bosch, Hella, Valeo and the Carella division of Magnetti Marelli are all customers for BMC headlamp surrounds. Suppliers of BMC include Menzolit France (see pages 40-42) for whom it represents an important market, says BASF. The surrounds are fabricated by injection moulding the BMC. The highly reflective surface is obtained by lacquering the part then applying an aluminium vapour layer.