Glass fiber reinforced polyurethane for greater safety 

Dashing through the snow 

High-impact hood for snow scooter 

Leverkusen – Bombardier-Nordtrac OY of Rovaniemi, Finland is equipping its new snow scooters with hoods molded in Bayflex® 180 mineral fiber reinforced R-RIM (Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding) polyurethane from Bayer MaterialScience. The main reasons for choosing this material are its high impact strength over a wide range of temperatures and the short production cycles which enable these comparatively large parts to be manufactured very economically indeed.

Plastics that perform at low temperatures must satisfy particularly high demands in terms of their mechanical properties, because many materials quickly become brittle below freezing point. When snow scooters travel off the beaten track through the countryside, they frequently suffer minor knocks or have collisions with branches and the like, and at very low temperatures even such slight accidents can lead to expensive repairs if the materials used for the bodywork are unsuitable for the job.

The hood which Bombardier-Nordtrac uses for its snow scooters is robust enough to cope with such harsh conditions. The Bayflex® 180 molding, which is approx. 1.10 m long, 1 m wide and 0.4 m high, boasts outstanding impact strength over a broad temperature range, and reinforcement with natural mineral fibers gives it excellent inherent stiffness.

But these are not the only areas in which the Bayer MaterialScience polyurethane demonstrates its superiority over the frequently used alternative glass fiber reinforced polyester (GRP). The fact that the part can be manufactured by the RIM process (reaction injection molding) also has significant economic advantages: the six-kg hood, which is manufactured by Artekno-PUR OY, Kangasala, Finland, has a wall thickness of just 3.5 mm and a cycle time of only two minutes; mold residence time is just 30 sec. Unlike many other plastics, the part is produced without a glass fiber mat, because the glass fibers are mixed, finely ground, directly into one of the raw material components. A special polyurethane formulation also allows virtually self-releasing production.

About BaySystems®:

With effect from March 1, 2007, Bayer MaterialScience AG will be combining its entire global polyurethane systems business under the umbrella brand of BaySystems®. This change affects not only existing product brands in this segment – including Bayflex® – but also the global network of polyurethane systems houses and the company’s support for customers in the world’s footwear industry. More information about BaySystems® can be found at www.bayer-baysystems.com.

About BaySystems®:

With effect from March 1, 2007, Bayer MaterialScience AG will be combining its entire global polyurethane systems business under the umbrella brand of BaySystems®. This change affects not only existing product brands in this segment – including Baypreg® – but also the global network of polyurethane systems houses and the company’s support for customers in the world’s footwear industry. More information about BaySystems® can be found at www.bayer-baysystems.com.

About Bayer MaterialScience:

With 2006 sales of 10.2 billion euros (continuing operations), Bayer MaterialScience AG is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. At the end of 2006, Bayer MaterialScience had 30 production sites and employed approximately 14,900 people around the globe. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company.