Nylon replaces magnesium in airbag housing

21 September 2006

Key Safety Systems, an international US-based automotive supplier, ZF Boge Elastmetall of Damme, Germany and BASF have joined forces in developing the housing for the passenger airbag used in the new Audi Q7. This is Audi’s first passenger airbag housing made of plastic for its high-end models. In its capacity as the module supplier, Key Safety Systems bears responsibility for the overall system while ZF Boge Elastmetall is contributing its know-how in the development, construction and processing of the housing.

According to BASF, its polyamide Ultramid® B3ZG8 is the ideal material for this application. It is a polyamide 6 grade specially developed by BASF for airbags. It contains 40% glass fibres and has also been impact-modified. As a result, it is sufficiently elastic under cold conditions but also rigid enough at high temperatures. BASF says that this plastic is easier to process than magnesium and also exhibits good flame-retardant behaviour.

BASF adds that its new computation method for parts – the ‘integrative simulation’ – was successfully integrated into the computation method employed by ZF Boge Elastmetall. The high-speed measured data is contributing considerably to a better assessment of the strength of the materials under dynamic stress, which allows a greatly improved understanding of the material, says the company.