Polyurethanes in Innovative Automotive Applications to be held at UTECH North America April 6-7

Noise reduction, lightweighting, interior air quality and more comfortable seating are among the innovative new developments in polyurethane technology for automotive applications due to be unveiled at the UTECH North America conference and trade show, taking place April 6th and 7th 2016 at Charlotte Convention Center, North Carolina, USA.

An entire session of the UTECH North America conference is dedicated to automotive developments. Conference delegates and exhibition visitors can also discover the latest products and solutions for manufacturing polyurethane-based automotive components in the free-to-attend trade show. Polyurethane-based products are ideally suited for a wide range of automotive applications such as car seat cushioning, headrests, steering wheels, noise-suppressing carpets and air filters.

The automotive market showcase session of the UTECH North America conference is to be chaired by Simon Robinson, editor of Urethanes Technology International magazine. Scheduled for the first day of the event, April 6th, it will include the following papers:

• Noise and Harshness Reduction by using MCE and solid fillers in the automotive industry, delivered by Marten Beiersdorf, Head of Sales, Klöckner Desma
• Technology for automotive flexible foam seating and flexible slab foam, given by Ronald Grossman, Foam Technology Project Technical Leader, Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies
• A panel discussion chaired by Andrew Kee, Global Director of Chemical Development at The Woodbridge Group will look at the need to harmonize automotive interior air quality across Europe, Asia and the US. Panelists include Mark Polster of the Ford Motor Company.

More than 100 companies will be showcasing their latest offerings for the polyurethanes industry in the accompanying exhibition. Exhibitors showing innovations with automotive applications include Milliken and REPI. Milliken will show its award-winning Milliguard AOX-1 antioxidant for PU which it says contributes negligible volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and outgassingcondensation (FOG), making it ideal for polyol producers and foam manufacturers to use in the production of interior vehicle components such as seats, door trim, carpet, instrument panels, headliners and consoles. REPI, a supplier of liquid colors and additives for PU will be profiling its VOC/FOG‐free black and color solutions as well as its latest bio-based phthalate‐free lines.

Other sessions from two parallel conference streams include those looking sustainability and the use of renewable resources, flexible foams, rigid foams, CASE products (coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers), the latest advances in processing equipment and blowing agent innovations.

Conference delegate rates are highly competitive compared to other events in the industry and offer outstanding value to all those with a professional interest in polyurethanes.

Rates for conference bookings are US$180 for a single day and US$265 for both days.