Securing safety
Safety systems are evolving fast in the automotive market with next-generation materials increasingly used for active safety systems in addition to passive safety systems: It’s a development that contributes to the wider trend of ‘prevention rather than cure’ - and is helping our customers create market leadership.
Most of the major safety developments in recent decades have centered on improving personal safety and minimizing the impact of accidents. Passive safety systems help reduce the impact of accidents, such as bumpers and seatbelts have improved hugely (helped significantly by thermoplastic materials). Airbags are another key application – and one where our materials like Akulon® PA6 have redefined effectiveness through improved safety as well as better processing.
A major trend in active systems is the focus on prevention. The main applications are usually electronic in nature, including night vision, lane departure warning, and traffic light identification. Perhaps the most important of all active safety systems are…the brakes. Were you aware, for example, that the heart of the vehicle from a safety perspective – the brake booster – is almost always made from a plastic called Arnite® from DSM?
In all cases, the keys to safety are very high production standards and of course materials that operate exactly as intended when required under all conditions over the life of the vehicle.
Links & Downloads
- Global partner
- Quality assurance
- Thought paper airbag containers (PDF, 648.23KB)
- Publication(s) in Kunststoffe (PDF, 4.44MB)
- Airbag containers
- Brake booster body valves
