Helping meet today's automotive challenges

The role of plastics
Plastics represent about 50% of the volume of materials used in the automotive industry but account for only 10% of the weight. DSM materials can extend the scope for metal replacement providing materials that deliver higher stiffness and temperature resitance all at a lower weight than traditional metal parts.

Meeting the challenges
Plastics have an important role in helping the automotive industry meet tomorrow’s challenges like industry globalization, improved performance and value at reduced costs, and lower environmental impact and responsible energy use. Our unique product range helps deliver solutions to these challenges and add value to a diversity of applications from chain tensioners and airbags to intake manifolds and sensors. We bring the skills of our people to bear on your applications and match that to our product and processing knowledge.

DSM supports automotive developments, making use of design tools (CAE) and predictive engineering tools, to shorten development cycles. Our advanced engineering support helps lower system costs; by looking beyond just the materials, considering processing and assembly steps to increase productivity and operational flexibility.

DSM offers a unique combination of materials and support services that help add value in a variety of automotive applications. Whether for high or low temperatures, rigid or flexible materials, our products are engineered to deliver optimum performance and processability, delivering the widest design freedom offering:

• New dimensions in stiffness and creep providing opportunities for metal replacement
• Productivity gains with easier processing resins that increase machine productivity
• Reduced environmental impact via “greener” finishing processes
• Component durability enabled by superior fatigue or wear resistant materials
• Improved safety and comfort of critical components made safer with our materials