Kraiburg gears up to meet new TPE demands

Waldkraiburg, Germany – Kraiburg TPE has started full-scale production of advanced compounds from its Thermolast V thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) portfolio, the company has announced.

The move, it said, is linked to increasing demand for high-performance TPE in applications such as automotive seals.

According to Kraiburg, its newest series features “excellent heat resistance, an improved compression set and good adhesion to polyamides.”

The material will also be presented at German engineers association the VDI's 'Plastics in Automotive Engineering'  congress, being held 9 – 10 March in Mannheim.

TPEs are required to exhibit high levels of mechanical stability when exposed to high temperatures under the hood, according to the company statement.

For these applications, Kraiburg has developed compounds with a larger hardness spectrum from 50 to 80 Shore A and these compounds are now going into full-scale production.

“Polyamide is an important and critical construction material, which is why we have expanded and improved our portfolio to include heat-resistant TPEs with adhesion to polyamide,” said Dr. Martin Geissinger, product Manager EMEA at Kraiburg TPE.