Kraton Debuts Innovative Car Interior Manufacturing Tech on China’s Buick GL6 – autoevolution

Developed by Kraton Corporation, a Houston-based global manufacturer of specialty polymers and high-value biobased products, the IMSS technology uses ultra-high flow thermoplastic elastomers. Part of the Hydrogenated Styrenic Block Copolymers (HSBC) family, those are used to produce lightweight, ultra-thin leather-like materials for the automotive industry.

Unlike conventional PVC soft skins, these HSBC-based materials allow injection molding, making them easy to apply on various interior panels. They contain no added plasticizer, phthalates, or cross-linking agents and give off less odor than conventional soft skins.

Producing various interior panels using this technology can help automotive interior manufacturers sidestep the expensive, labor-intensive, and energy-consuming slush molding process. That's because the injection molding equipment offers higher efficiency, is cheaper to maintain, and consumes less electrical energy.

Since the early development stages, the IMSS technology has undergone rigorous material and part testing. Kraton representatives state that the soft skins achieved excellent results, which led them to search for suitable partners to use them on mass-produced vehicles.

Kratons first major client is SAIC-GM, a joint venture between General Motors Company and SAIC Motor Corporation Limited that manufactures and sells Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac brand vehicles in mainland China.

This collaboration made the upgraded Buick GL6 the first mass-produced vehicle to feature Kratons revolutionary IMSS technology for its instrument panel.

For those who are curious about the GL6, the MPV is based on a modified version of GMs Delta II architecture and is only available in mainland China in three different trims.

The highlight of the range is the six-seat model, which comes with a 1.3-liter turbocharged straight three along with a standard 48V mild-hybrid system for a combined maximum output of 161 hp (120 kW).

The GL6 also uses Buicks V2X technology that enables vehicles to communicate with one another and the surrounding infrastructure by sending and receiving basic information such as location, speed, braking status, and directions. SAIC-GM states that it will enhance the efficiency of advanced safety features.

Although this technology is nothing new for other markets, Kratons potentially revolutionary IMSS technology is something that we look forward to seeing in the U.S. and Europe.

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Kraton Debuts Innovative Car Interior Manufacturing Tech on China's Buick GL6 - autoevolution