Thermally conductive polycarbonate from Covestro shines brightly in OEM fog lamp housing
Company recognized by Society of Plastics Engineers
Pittsburgh, May 21, 2020 — Automakers frequently turn to plastics for their versatility and strong performance in a variety of innovative applications. As a trusted materials supplier, Covestro is at the forefront with its thermally conductive (TC) polycarbonate. Now, in what is believed to be the first time, this material was used to mold an automotive LED fog lamp housing. This component, used in a light truck by a major OEM, was named a finalist in the 49th Annual SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition in the Materials category.
With an increased focus on lightweighting, the OEM and supplier turned to Makrolon® TC8030 polycarbonate from Covestro to improve the truck’s fog lamp housing. This material, which is injection molded, delivers several improvements when compared to the die-cast aluminum material previously used, including:
- More than 40% weight savings
- Over 10% reduction in component count resulting from design integration
- 20% cost reduction for full lamp assembly
- 30 lumen increase due to improved heat management for LED performance
Makrolon® TC8030 polycarbonate also offers a variety of structural benefits, such as high stiffness, great high-temperature fatigue life and good creep resistance when compared to traditional materials. Additionally, once the LED board is removed, the polycarbonate housing can be easily recycled.
“As the automotive industry continues to evolve, it’s important for materials to keep pace,” said Michael George, automotive lighting segment manager, Covestro LLC. “This application of a thermally conductive polycarbonate in a fog lamp housing opens the door to new possibilities, such as more flexible heat sink designs, integrated electronics, and the use of lamp housings for thermal management.”
The housing’s mechanical design is also unique. For example, increased thickness on the inside of the housing enables constant contact with the PCB board for better heat dissipation.
Additional advantages of Makrolon® TC8030 polycarbonate include:
- High thermal conductivity for outstanding heat management
- Excellent dimensional stability
- Electrical conductivity to dissipate electrostatic charges
- Low EMI shielding for electronic integration
About Covestro LLC:
Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business, which is among the world’s largest polymer companies with 2019 sales of EUR 12.4 billion. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, electrical and electronics and healthcare industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,200 people at the end of 2019.
Find more information at www.covestro.us or solutions.covestro.com/en/materials/plastics.
Makrolon® is a registered trademark of Covestro Group.
Covestro Contact:
Lauren West, Phone: +1 412 413 4141
Lauren.West@covestro.com
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This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
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