Vehicle safety continues to be a critical issue at all levels of the automotive supply chain. And, as consumers spend more and more time on the road they are constantly looking for safety improvements. Increased attention to occupant as well as pedestrian safety drives new FMVSS, ECE, NCAP, IIHS requirements presenting a unique set of challenges in terms of energy management.

Dow Automotive offers its OEM and Tier customers specific design and engineering support covering all phases of product development. A broad spectrum of services ranging from conceptual development to CAD, design guides, DOE, dynamic material characterization, rapid prototyping, and FEA expertise have been successfully developed to support the launch of commercial programs around the world.

Our Body Engineered Systems include a number of innovative materials that improve vehicle structure without adding weight or significant cost. In fact, in many instances Dow Automotive can help decrease both weight and cost by engineering materials solutions that enable thinner vehicle wall construction and reduced steel support structures and mechanical fasteners.

Dow Automotive is also working diligently to become a global leader in Energy Absorption (EA) solutions through the development and integration of safety technologies into vehicle components and systems. Supported by the cooperation and collaboration of our customers, Dow Automotive was the first materials supplier to introduce such innovative EA solutions as all-plastic integrated knee bolsters, integrated pillar trim and structural instrument panel systems. We currently provide a variety of energy management countermeasures comprised of EA foam technologies and molded thermoplastic components enabled by best-in-class polypropylene, polyurethane and engineering plastic resins.

Current energy management solutions include:

• STRANDFOAM™ polypropylene foam processed as extruded strands that fuse into an innovative honeycomb foam structure that is responsible for the material's unique energy management properties. The material can be cut, shaped or thermoformed to easily fit specific packaging space. Used primarily in head impact applications, STRANDFOAM exhibits a significantly lower HIC(d) result during Compressive Force Deflection (CFC) analysis compared to competitive products in the same packaging space.
• High-density foams for injection into vehicle cavities improve stiffness and impact resistance.
• Structural adhesives stiffen all areas of the vehicle and add to overall durability by reducing fatigue and failure of spot welds and other traditional fasteners.
• Glass bonding systems make the windshield and backlite an integral part of vehicle structure and meet FMVSS and other globally mandated requirements for rollover and roof crush.

FEC - New adhesive technology from Dow Automotive enables the bonding of low energy substrates, such as polypropylene, with dissimilar substrates without the use of pre-treatment, saving time and cost and improving the quality of the final product. This technology has been commercialized on front-end-carrier applications, where a metal reinforcement is bonded to a long-glass fiber polypropylene part. Additional applications are in development.

SFI - Structural foam inserts (SFIs) support vehicle body stiffness and handling performance attributes on a variety of vehicle types and application requirements. BETAFOAM* structural polyurethane foam is molded into pre-formed geometries and, when cured, is overmolded with BETAMATE* structural adhesive using a Dow Automotive proprietary resin transfer molding process. The SFIs nest seamlessly into sheet metal cavities and the epoxy adhesive expands and rigidly bonds the foam parts to the surrounding steel structure during plant bake process.

• High-density foams for injection into vehicle cavities improve stiffness and impact resistance.
• Structural adhesives stiffen all areas of the vehicle and add to overall durability by reducing fatigue and failure of spot welds and other traditional fasteners.
• Glass bonding systems make the windshield and backlite an integral part of vehicle structure and meet FMVSS and other globally mandated requirements for rollover and roof crush.

We continue to explore other technologies including advanced concepts in side impact and pedestrian protection. More information will be available as these technologies progress toward commercialization.

EA applications currently include:

• Headliner countermeasures
• Body Engineered Systems for body structure enhancement
• Front-end-carrier structures
• Structural foam inserts
• Integrated rib countermeasures for pillars
• Door countermeasures
• Knee bolsters, ankle bolsters
• Steering column covers
• Bumper systems

We have several products available to our customers for use in vehicle safety performance. These products can be used alone or in conjunction with each other to provide a total solution. Please refer to the following products in our materials section for further information:

• BETABRACE™ reinforcing composites
• BETAFOAM™ structural foams
• BETAFOAM™ SFI (structural foam inserts)
• BETAMATE™ structural adhesives
• BETAMATE™ crash resistant adhesives
• BETAMATE™ LESA (low energy substrate adhesive)
• BETASEAL™ glass bonding systems
• INSPIRE™ PP/TPO resins
• MAGNUM™ ABS resins
• PAPI™ isocyanates
• PULSE™ PC/ABS resins
• SPECFLEX™ systems
• STRANDFOAM™ polypropylene foam
• VORANOL™ polyols

For additional information on how Dow Automotive can meet your specific vehicle application needs please contact the Customer Information Group (CIG):

	CIG North America		800.309.0988
	CIG Europe		800.3.694.6367
	CIG Pacific		603.7958.3392

®™^* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow