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AUTOMOTIVE – THE TREND TOWARDS LIGHT CONSTRUCTION

Electronic control of numerous car functions, accident safety and the highest level of design freedom are central standards of modern automobile construction that would not be possible without the use of plastics. Plastics now make up almost 16 percent of all materials used in cars, and this proportion is growing all the time, not least because weight must be significantly reduced to cut fuel consumption and associated CO₂ emissions.

New visual and tactile effects can nowadays be achieved with plastics on the interior, although the material is being ever more frequently used on the exterior. As a specialist in the visually and technically high-quality enhancement of three-dimensional plastic components, Nanogate GfO Systems has been serving the automotive industry, and virtually all the premium manufacturers, with its solutions for many years. Most notable are projects that concentrate on innovative, lightweight designs with glazing products (plastics with glass-like properties).

EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE APPLICATION SCENARIOS

N-Metals® Elamet 250-1000	Provides good shielding, fault-free function of devices; extremely thin coatings only a few micrometres thick can be integrated into the casing even with the narrowest of tolerances. Also allows the same mechanical deformation as the underlying plastic.
N-Metals® Elamet CS	Used where contacts not sensitive to vibrations are to be made on plastic surfaces by soldering.
N-Metals® Elamet CN	Combines the high conductivity of copper with the hardness of nickel-chromium and stainless steel, making a conductive surface especially resistant and hard-wearing – for components in an engine bay, for example.
N-Metals® Elamet D	Enables the high-quality decorative-technical enhancement of plastic components, such as the metallisation of reflectors. Applied in day-night designs in its semi-transparent form.
N-Glaze® Sicralan MRL and MRL UV	Supports the use of light, accident-proof plastics in automobile construction. Improves the hardness of surfaces, makes them scratchproof, UV-stable and resistant to dirt and weathering effects. In addition to being scratchproof, it also contributes to the visual effect by intensifying the deep glaze of coloured components. Traditional components are headlights, exterior rear and indicator lights and covers on the car interior. Other areas of application include panes, car body panels and car body modules.
N-Glaze® Sicralan DHC	In addition to improved scratchproof qualities, displays are also given reflection-reducing properties, making them easier to read.
N-Glaze® Sicralan AF	Anti-fog coating prevents the formation of condensation on the interior surfaces of covers for front headlights, rear lights and fog lights.