Custom matched PVC compounds yield high-quality surface required for Class A finish specs of automotive

05-Mar-15

Custom color-matched PVC compounds for automotive exterior moldings and trim yield the pure color, consistent gloss, and smooth, high-quality surface required for meeting the Class A finish specifications of automotive OEMs, it was announced by Teknor Apex Company. Apex® 1545 Series products are 85 Shore A PVC compounds that provide integral color and Class A surfaces for the external layers of coextruded automotive parts, such as roof ditch moldings between roof and body sections, window trim between A pillars and windshield, and body trim. Thus far Teknor Apex has formulated Apex 1545 Series compounds in more than 60 colors, a number of which are in commercial use on Chrysler LC-22 Platform vehicles such as the Dodge Challenger. The new compounds complement another series of PVC extrusion materials recently introduced for the same automotive exterior trim applications: Apex® 1545-D40 ST “self-texturing” compounds, which make secondary “texturing” steps such as top-coating or milling unnecessary. As with the Class A finish products, Teknor Apex can provide custom color and gloss matching to many OEM standards, including the various shades of black used across the industry. “Teknor Apex can manufacture the two new Apex series and all of our other automotive compounds to identical specifications globally, making possible localized supply,” said Steve McCormack, automotive industry manager for the Vinyl Division of Teknor Apex. “As one of the most diversified suppliers to the automotive industry, we serve customers as a single source of multiple compounds, including nylon and thermoplastic elastomers as well as PVC.”