Disclaimer

This case study was published in consultation with the client.

Case: Higher melting temperature for convertible top

Leistung: Innovation strategy

Arbeitsaufwand: 16 hours

Initial situation

One of our customers in the automotive industry noticed that the convertible tops they were producing for convertible prototypes were starting to deform slightly in particularly hot climates. As a result, the soft tops could no longer be retracted and extended precisely. The customer therefore wanted to increase the melting point of the plastic used by around 10°C, but did not want to replace the plastic with any other material.

Solution and services

We suggested increasing the molecular weight of the plastic and using an alternative annealing process after processing the components. This increased the melting point by almost 12°C and made the covers more stable.