HVAC control panel knobs manufactured by TRW for 2001 & 2002 Chrysler and Dodge-branded minivans won a finalist award here last night for materials use in the 2002 “Most Innovative Use of Plastics” competition held by the Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Division.  The award was based on the use of Celcon® UV140LG acetal copolymer, a grade having up to 80 percent less gloss than other acetals.

The low-gloss acetal, which was developed by Ticona, the technical polymers business of Celanese AG (NYSE: CZ; FSE: CZZ), enabled TRW to meet a challenging two percent gloss and color match to other instrument panel components without the use of paint.  Nylon 6/6 had been selected initially, but had a gloss of 6 to 8 percent and so could not meet the specification.

The insert-molded knobs come in driver- and passenger-side versions.  An undermold is made of white Celcon acetal copolymer with either “PASS” or “DRIVER” in raised letters.  The original design called for overmolding this part with 1.5 to 2 mm of 20 percent glass-bead-filled black nylon.  In addition to having excess gloss, the nylon resin generated significant shear heat during molding that deformed the lettering.  

By contrast, Celcon® UV140LG acetal flowed well during overmolding, so the raised lettering stayed sharp.  The Celcon resin easily filled-in around the letters “PASS” and “DRIVER”, including filling the small 0.0015-inch holes in the letters P, A, D and R.  
Celcon UV140LG acetal also provides resistance to UV radiation, scratch and mar, and gives the knobs a comfortable soft touch.  The resin’s chemical resistance enabled it to pass TRW’s eight-chemical test that includes exposure to cleaning solutions, gasoline and lubricants.

Caption:  Chrysler and Dodge-branded 2001 & 2002 minivan HVAC slider knobs insert-molded by TRW Automotive.  The undermold parts are Ticona’s white Celcon® acetal copolymer.  The overmold is black, low-gloss Celcon® UV140LG acetal copolymer.

Celcon UV140LG acetal copolymer meets the low-gloss specifications for interiors at all major American automakers.  It allows auto interior designers to gain the traditional benefits of acetal without sacrificing the appearance of door handles, push buttons, coat hooks, knobs and other interior trim applications.  These benefits include high lubricity and hardness, durability, creep resistance, UV resistance and dimensional stability.

Additional Information Available
Contact Paul.Reichenbacher@ticona.com for photos of Chrysler and Dodge-branded minivan HVAC knobs molded by TRW from Celcon® acetal copolymer.
For more information about the SPE Finalist Award and the use of Celcon® acetal copolymer in Chrysler and Dodge-branded minivan HVAC knobs, contact: Tom Miller, Automotive Market Manager, Ticona, 2600 North Opdyke Road, Auburn Hills, Michigan, 48326, USA.  Phone: 1-248-377-6865.  E-mail: Tom.Miller@ticona.com.
Product property datasheets for Celcon® acetal copolymer, grade UV140LG, are available at http://www.ticona-us.com/DataSheet/DataSheet.cfm?ID=817.  Additional information on Celcon® acetal copolymer is available from: Ticona, 90 Morris Avenue, Summit, New Jersey, 07901, USA.  Phone: 1-800-833-4882 or 1-908-522-7500.  Or visit: http://www.ticona.com.

About TRW
TRW Automotive is a leader in active and passive safety systems for the global automotive industry.  Products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems, electronics, engine valves, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts.  TRW Inc. (NYSE: TRW) provides advanced technology products and services to the automotive, aerospace and information technology markets.  The company's 2001 sales were $16.4 billion (USD).  TRW news is available on the Internet at http://www.trw.com.