Foam-Fill Simulation of Polyurethane Systems

September 6, 2016

Jennifer Shuttleworth

BASF (Florham Park, NJ) offers an additional service for polyurethane (PU) systems in automotive interiors. The Ultrasim simulation tool has been expanded so that the behavior of PU systems during foaming can now be reliably predicted. According to BASF, the new service has proven especially successful with instrument panels made with the company’s Elastoflex E semi-rigid system. Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is using the virtual process design for the instrument panels it manufactures for current models such as the BMW X1. Based on the CAE model for each panel and a new material description of the semi-rigid system within Ultrasim, a foam-fill simulation is created that allows the customer to spot potential problems with the design and manufacturing of the component before the mold is made. For more information, visit www.basf.com .