Wacker Asahikasei Silicone (AWS), a 50-50% Japanese joint venture of Munich-based Wacker Chemie AG and Japanese chemical group Asahi Chemical Industry, opened a new development laboratory for airbag applications. The Airbag Competence Center of Excellence in Silicones (ACES), will spearhead the development of silicone coatings for airbags and technical textiles in the region. Investment in the new laboratory is estimated at EUR1 million.
The ACES, located at the AWS technical centre in Tsukuba, some 70 km north-east of Tokyo, will support airbag manufacturers and their suppliers and has been equipped to develop novel high-performance silicone materials for coating airbags. Key material tests, such as coating, heat-resistance and fire-safety tests can now be performed locally.
Peter Summo, head of Wacker’s Engineering Silicones business unit, commented during the opening ceremony of the lab that as a material for airbags, silicones adhere well to airbag fabrics, improve the fabrics’ leak tightness and air-holding performance, and protect them from the initial heat and the hot gases that inflate airbags in milliseconds. In addition, silicone topcoats reduce surface friction on deployment. This enables airbags to inflate uniformly and instantly.
The weight and safety benefits of silicones for airbags make it the coating material of choice for numerous manufacturers. The coatings are light and ensure that airbags still function properly many years after being installed, said Summo, adding that the Tsukuba lab has the competence and is optimally positioned to develop convincing solutions for the airbag industry.