Dow Automotive will present its new Energy Absorption (EA) solution, IMPAXX, to the public for the first time at the VDI-K conference "Plastics in Automotive" which takes place on March 29 and 30, 2006 in Mannheim, Germany. IMPAXX, an extruded styrenic foam, shows superior technical properties in absorbing energy and provides significant commercial benefits to OEMs as well as Tier suppliers. As a result of its superior performance when compared to traditional EA countermeasures, IMPAXX can assist designers and engineers in meeting increasingly demanding crash standards.

At the same EA performance IMPAXX can reduce weight by up to 50 % compared with injection moulded parts and alternative foam solutions and reduce packing space by up to 40%, giving greater freedom in the design process. For instance, larger and deeper door pockets are possible in door trims, and headliner and instrument panel applications can provide additional headroom and knee space for the occupants enhancing passenger comfort. IMPAXX sets new packaging space standards for safety critical components. IMPAXX enables as well last-minute change flexibility, supported by the benefit of no tooling change costs/leadtime.

In addition to its advanced technology, Dow Automotive offers OEM and Tier customers full service support to assist in the application of IMPAXX. Services include: conceptual part design with CAD, CAE support from correlated material models to complete finite element (FE) simulation, component level testing capabilities, prototype-equal production parts and quality control according to QS/ISO international standards. Support and tools are made available to OEMs and Tiers, who especially benefit from early CAD/CAE involvement with significantly lower development time and cost.

Produced in Dow Automotive's European facilities, IMPAXX is now available for commercialization in three grades: IMPAXX 300, IMPAXX 500 and IMPAXX 700.

Comparison of key properties of EA countermeasure solutions - ePP^* as benchmark

Dow Automotive is a leading supplier of plastics, adhesives, sealants and other plastics-enhanced products for interior, exterior, under-the-hood, vehicle body structure and acoustical management applications. The organization serves global tier, OEM and aftermarket customers. With offices and application development centers around the world, Dow Automotive provides materials science expertise and comprehensive technical capabilities to its customers worldwide. For additional information about Dow Automotive products and services, visit www.dowautomotive.com. Dow Automotive is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.