As the race for weight saving and efficiency enhancement assumes greater pace, automotive plastics also start playing a greater role in applications that were until now the monopoly of metals

The 2008 Mercedes C-Class is fully redesigned and wipes out most of the shortcomings of the previous model. The wheelbase has been stretched slightly, improving interior space, especially in the rear seat. It's not a massive gain, but the resulting cabin is certainly larger and feels airier than it did before. The C-Class interior also benefits from new features, including a very impressive optional hard-drive-based navigation and surround-sound audio system, along with a much-improved version of the COMAND interface. Not very far from where the COMAND interface is located in the dashboard there's the cover at the top center and the two so-called diffuse fields located on the left and right.

These are made from BASF Ultradur S4090 GX black, a BASF PBT/ASA blend (that is highly dimensional and stable under heat) reinforced with 14 per cent glass fibres. Three in numbers, the parts have a very filigree surface, namely, a rib-mesh metal imitation with open perforations. They function as covers for the diffuse ventilation of the front windshield and of the vehicle interior and are injection-molded by REUM GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG, a company headquartered in Hardheim, Germany. The complex molds for serial production are built by REUM itself.

Yet another application of BASF engineering plastics in the new C-Class is the head rests. Interestingly, the SkinForm process is being used for the first time for a serially produced part in automotive construction-the headrest of the latest C-Class. This, in addition to those of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, M-Class, R-Class and GL-Class. The thermoplastic support of the rear headrest cover is made of Terblend N NM-19, BASF's ABS/PA blend. This plastic is easy to process and adheres very well to polyurethane, whose soft outside exhibits a leather-like grain and feel. The functional plastic part of the headrest is manufactured by Schenk Plastic Solutions GmbH in Esslingen, Germany.

The SkinForm process was showcased at the K 2004 plastics trade fair by its developers, KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, Rühl Puromer and Schenk Plastic Solutions. This process cleverly combines reaction and injection-molding techniques with each other, so that a single process step yields high-quality, leather-like plastic surfaces with a polyurethane outer skin and a mechanically sturdy, thermoplastic support. The molded parts lend themselves particularly well not only for automotive construction, but also for office chairs as well as for articles of daily use such as vacuum cleaners, power tools and notebooks.