Advanced Thermoforming, 2nd Edition

Chapter 20Softfeel Made from ABS/ TPU Material

To distance themselves from the competition, commercial vehicle manufacturers are looking for materials that offer more user comfort.¹ At the same time, the appearance of the driver cabin area must show increased value‐effect. Leather‐like feel and matt surfaces are therefore in demand. To achieve this, thermoformed parts are mostly painted using a soft‐touch paint.

Disadvantages of painting are as follows:

• High costs
• Low scratch and abrasion resistance
• High emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Solutions offered by using acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are the following:

• Coextrusion of a matt TPU top layer over a base layer sheet of ABS achieves a matt, leatherlike feel.
• No painting of the sheet is required.
• These advantages are also retained after thermoforming.

Products have the following advantages:

• No painting of sheet required
• High matt surface level
• Leatherlike feel
• High scratch and abrasion resistance
• Wide color range and color consistency
• Meets fire regulation standards
• VOC limit values achieved

At the end of the 1990s, to meet the high optical and mechanical requirements for innovative plastic surfaces in car interiors, the development of a leather “soft” surface was begun.² Potential markets such as the commercial‐vehicle industry and caravan industry were explored, as well as the automotive industry, buses, and contract thermoformers.

The goal was to develop a thermoplastic ...