|
|
|
|
|
01/10/2006
 Email to a friend
 Comment on this article
|
A special anodising process for aluminium trim parts is said to improve their resistance to highly alkaline cleaning agents and other chemicals as well as heat, cold, snow, rain and salt.
The development, Durable Trim, is in response to the highly alkaline cleaning solutions used in automatic car washes. These attack the bright trim on the vehicle which can take on an unattractive permanently flecked and appearance. In addition, DIY cleaning additives are becoming more aggressive as are the defrosting agents used in cold regions.
Dura Automotive Systems is leading developer and manufacturer of aluminium trim parts and already offers products resistant to alkaline solutions with a pH of up to 13.5, which will soon become a new standard for car-makers.
Additional protection through nano-coatings were contemplated but rejected as too expensive and untried in production. Instead a team led by Horst Sauer, head of process and test technology at Dura’s laboratories in Plettenberg, Germany searched for ways of optimising the existing anodised process-chain.
“The task was to prevent alkaline solutions from penetrating the trim products,” said Sauer. With the Durable Trim process, the anodised coating is permanently impregnated into the aluminium and therefore provides a superior surface. “By incorporating our solution in existing production processes, we are able to offer our customers these significant advantages at no extra cost.”
Durable Trim is being demonstrated in Europe and the company says it is engaged in “intensive dialogues” with some vehicle-makers.
|
|
| |
Author
Roger Bishop
|
| |
| |
Copyright European Automotive Design.
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.
|
| |
|
|
| |
To access the whitepaper section you need to complete our 60 second registration process. Once completed this then allows you to download any and all white papers, register for e-zines and access our detailed supplier directory for FREE.
If you are all ready a registered user then enter your e-mail address and login.
You will need to have logged in prior to entering your comments in the boxes provided.
|