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Delrin® Case Study
Delrin® Components Meet Strict Standards
for Life-Saving Automotive Safety Restraint
Systems
Challenges
Performance requirements
Auto safety systems are subject to stringent standards including:
• Zero manufacturing defects
• Ability of components to withstand temperatures of -40°C
to +95°C
• Ability of components to withstand impact specifications
Project
The Delrin portfolio of polymers—proven for over 60 years to
work in demanding safety applications—provides the foundation
for collaboration between Delrin and Autoliv, the world’s largest
automotive safety supplier.
• Reliability within tight dimensions
• Adherence to low FA emission requirements
In addition, standards vary by country and OEM; suppliers of raw
materials and components must follow the most stringent
standards in order to sell globally.
In an auto accident, safety restraint systems must work without
exception because lives are at stake. Worldwide each year, 1.2
million people die in traffic accidents. The top lifesaving device?
The seatbelt which reduces fatality by 45%. Reliable, robust
materials are needed for safety restraints to ensure the safety of
children and adults as they make their way to school, work and
home each day.
Design parameters
Delrin understands that every component of a safety restraint
system must:
Failure to deliver safety components on time risks stopping an
OEM production line. Parts manufacturers must have access to
a reliable supply of high-quality homopolymer technologies for
on-time delivery.
• Be tough enough to withstand crash impact even in small
dimensions
Smart cars that anticipate crashes and protect people before a
crash even happens, rely on electrified systems. Designers need
materials that allow for thin parts that function within an electrical
system without compromising strength, toughness and stiffness
for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Supply capacity
• Resist fracture and be capable of absorbing more energy
• Resist creep fatigue—parts must maintain overall shape during
long exposures to loads and maintain tighter fit in snap-fit
applications
• Resist fatigue—durability is key in high-cycle applications such
as gears that run continuously or in long-life systems
• Operate thousands of times with low wear across a wide range
of temperatures—the materials must not show abrasion and
perform for the lifetime of the vehicle
Delrin and Autoliv have joined forces to substantially reduce
fatalities and injuries even as the distance driven increases.
Together, they’re working toward this goal with improved safety
restraint systems that use components made with Delrin.
Autoliv safety belt
retractor bearing plate
made with Delrin®
300TE
Solution
In response to OEM demand for improved safety restraint
systems and lightweighting, Delrin’s development team works
with Autoliv and their suppliers to finetune formulas for push
buttons, pillar loops, retractor mechanisms, gears and height
adjusters. The result? New products formulated with lowemission Delrin acetal polymer that reduce the noise and weight
of safety restraint systems without compromising safety, quality
or reliability.
For over six decades, suppliers have found that Delrin results in
better mold processing of parts that meet the highest performance
standards of Tier 1 suppliers as well as OEM standards. They
have also counted on steady and timely supplies of consistently
high-quality homopolymer because of Delrin’s global
distribution network.
Delrin components make it possible for Autoliv to produce safety
restraint systems that are more resistant to fracture and capable
of absorbing more energy in a crash. These components simply
must work every time for the life of the vehicle in order to protect
what matters most: people.
Autoliv and Delrin have collaborated for almost 40 years to
develop components for safety restraint systems that save lives.
Most recently they have:
• Reduced part size to enable space efficiency and lower total
system cost
• Reduced noise from seatbelt retractor parts to enhance
driver experience
• Increased safety with a high-impact gear in the seatbelt
pre-pretensioner that limits restraint in preparation for impact
and reduces injuries.
Delrin E-grades for low
emissions bridge the gap between
metals and ordinary plastics
Delrin acetal resin, the world’s first acetal polymer,
commercialized in 1959, is the stiffest unreinforced polymer
available. It’s highly versatile and bridges the gap between
metals and ordinary plastics.
The new low emission grades of Delrin acetal resins
combine high impact resistance with high stiffness, strength
and elongation—even at low temperatures. They also provide
high surface hardness, very low wear and friction, resiliency
and high resistance to chemicals and solvents.
SGS Institut Fresenius GmbH in Germany confirms that all
E-grades of Delrin meet the demanding emission requirements
of all major automotive manufacturers. Their testing revealed
emissions below 2 mg/kg for all grades, while internal testing
showed their strength, stiffness and impact resistance to be
similar or better than the standard grades.
Delrin is the acetal polymer of choice for:
• Fasteners
• Seatbelt components
• Headrest adjusters
• Levers
• Gears
Delrin® E-grades for low emissions are available in three
basic melt flow series that vary in their melt viscosity: 100
(most viscous), 300, and 500 (the most fluid).
Plus, more people make it safely home each day!
To learn more, contact your Delrin representative or visit Delrin.com.
Delrin® is an industry-leading premium industrial polymer business. Grounded in strong innovation, Delrin is a category creator with a longstanding
reputation for quality, reliability, supply and product performance. The iconic Delrin brand, coupled with proprietary technology and deep application
expertise make us a leader in the high-end engineering polymer market. Delrin has exciting growth prospects from exposure to automation, actuation,
healthcare, mobility and consumer applications.
Copyright 2023 Delrin®
Form No. HMC1223