Enhanced Polyolefin Technology

Challenge

Floor console assemblies have undergone a transformation as vehicles have evolved to become mobile offices and as vehicle occupants expect greater functionality to meet their active lifestyle. 

Years ago, a floor console was a simple component, housing the gearshift selector and storage compartments for small items. Nowadays, floor console assemblies can store tablets and laptops, house charging ports, include climate control outlets, and still provide traditional functions such as holding beverages. Floor consoles, due to their prominence, are a major aesthetic feature of interior vehicle design. 

Dimensional requirements are key to ensure excellent fit-and-finish, both for visual appeal and for
opening/closing functionality. Trim panels and storage bins need to provide a pleasing appearance and be designed for long term durability, such as meeting stricter scratch and mar standards. 

Combined with these customer delight issues, large floor console assemblies, particularly those used in full-size pickup and SUVs, have a multitude of structural requirements. From being able to bear loads on the console lid (such as a toddler standing on the console lid) to point loads (an occupant using the console for support when exiting the vehicle) to NVH considerations (including buzz and squeak requirements), the retainer of the console assembly needs to be provide a solid foundation. 

As consoles have increased in importance in customer satisfaction, liners and mats used within these applications take on additional requirements in aesthetics, durability, soft touch, and odor

Solutions

GEON® RESILIENCE is our polyolefin product portfolio to meet these exacting standards. From glass-filled grades that provide a robust structure and dimensional performance, mineral filled grades for storage bins, and materials for appearance trim panels, GEON RESILIENCE polyolefin materials can fulfill technical requirements for floor consoles

GEON’s expanding portfolio of Polymax TPE materials has been successfully used for liner and mat applications and makes us a “one-stop-shop” for all of your material needs. 

Impact

With the strength and stiffness of GEON™ materials, along with their easy-to-process attributes, major automotive OEMs have specified a variety of GEON RESILIENCE products for center console assemblies in their largest volume, most profitable vehicles. GEON POLYMAX has been adopted for use in mats and liners. 

Meeting fit-and-finish and performance requirements not only provides a pleasing customer experience, but also reduces cost of non-conformance due to warranty and manufacturing scrap issues. 

GEON RESILIENCE materials are also available with guaranteed recycle content levels to meet ever-increasing sustainability objectives. 

Using GEON RESILIENCE products:

• Minimized warpage and distortion, providing superior fit and finish to mating parts 
• Allows for isotropic mechanical properties, essential in complex parts, as compared to long fiber materials 
• Provided a leading OEM cost savings because of decreased scrap and ability to use regrind levels up to 20% 

GEON POLYMAX products provide:

• Hardness customization 
• Ultra high flow for thin wall sections 
• Low odor and VOC 
• Meets OEM heat aging requirements 
• Excellent aesthetics, can be colored, with soft touch haptics 
• Eco-friendly with recyclability 
• Complies with REACH and RoHS