MuCell® Injection Molding January 26, 2012

Outline Fundamentals of MuCell Basic Part Design Design Optimization for MuCell Expansion Molding 2

What is MuCell® MuCell is a foaming technology Putting small cells into a thin wall plastic part Primarily using nitrogen as the foaming agent

MuCell Process Basic Steps Melt plastic prior to SCF (Super Critical Fluid) injection Inject SCF during screw rotation Dissolve SCF into the polymer melt (single phase solution) Inject SCF Dissolve SCF Read text. + SCF Polymer Diffusion Complete 4

MuCell Process Once the SCF is dissolved into the molten polymer it must be kept under pressure In the molding machine this means: Screw position control Shutoff Nozzle In the mold: Valve gates for hot runner molds Foaming occurs during injection into the mold Read text. Time 5

MuCell Equipment

The MuCell Process Dissolving an SCF (Supercritical Fluid) into a polymer reduces the material viscosity Viscosity changes 10% to 15% for a 30% glass fiber reinforced semi-crystalline engineering resin 15% to 25% for an amorphous resin Reduced injection pressures at equal conditions of temperature and speed Improved flow lengths Cell growth provides final packing of the part Reduces residual stress patterns by eliminating traditional pack and hold phase Results in improved part dimensions Cycle time reduction due to shorter pack/hold and increase mold contact

Typical Cycle Time Reduction: 15-30% Start of Injection 30 sec 3 sec 4 sec 17 sec 6 sec Solid Molding Injection Pack &Hold Cooling Motions 2.0 sec 0.5 sec 14 sec 6 sec Mucell 22.5 sec Typical Cycle Time Reduction: 15-30% 8

Transfer Point – Injection to hold Pressure Monitoring Typical MuCell process pressure curves Transfer Point – Injection to hold This is a typical cavity pressure curve for the MuCell process. It can be seen that the cavity pressure near the gate increases rapidly during the fill process (a 1.33 second fill time). Once injection stops, the pressure at the gate drops rapidly to a pressure just slightly higher than the pressure at the end of fill. The pressure at the end of fill is just starting to build at transfer and then builds to a value of about 17 bar before gradually decaying. This is in contrast to a solid pressure curve as show in this next slide. 9

Part Quality Easier to Achieve 1 2 3 4 5 Gate Position 95.9 200 Straightness 10

MuCell provides a long term strategic cost advantage for molded parts Significant manufacturing cost savings Cycle Reduction (15-30%) Weight Savings (6-30%) Reduced Clamp Tonnage (30-60%) Previously unattainable quality improvements High dimensional stability Reduced warpage Reduced stress in parts Improved Sound, Vibration Absorbency Improved Heat Insulation 11

Outline Fundamentals of MuCell Basic Part Design Design Optimization for MuCell Expansion Molding 12 12

STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION of MuCell® TECHNOLOGY Cost Reduction Strategy + Material / Weight Savings 6-8% - Limited tooling changes - Must use existing presses - Tools already qualified - Product at/near end of life Design Process Cost-down Initiatives Designing for Function Material / Weight Savings 20-30% Significantly reduced # Mold Iterations Optimal Gating Optimized Press-sizes Reduced time to production Part Design Pre-production Validation Production Release Volume Production Tooling Problem Solving Strategy + Material / Weight Savings 8-12% + Reduced # Mold Iterations + Additional Tooling options Press sizes already determined Non-optimal tooling 13

Part Design - Wall Thickness Thickest cross sections/hot spots will control cycle time Identify and eliminate ALL thick sections Use the new tools in MoldFlow or Catia 5 to highlight the thick sections before the tool is built. Removing thick sections not only decrease cycle time but reduces overall part weight as well! A properly designed part typically runs 10- 40% faster then solid. A poorly designed part will run 10- 40% slower.

Part Design - Wall Thickness Specific wall thicknesses with MuCell: Properly designed parts can be produced with wall thicknesses down to 0.35 mm. Ideal wall thicknesses is below 3 mm(below 2 mm for unfilled PP and HDPE) The MuCell process allows for: Higher wall thickness deviations on the part More uniform shrink and less warpage at varying thicknesses No sink marks

Part Design - Wall Thickness Weight reduction is highly dependent on flow factor Ratio of Flow Length to Part Thickness Weight reduction also dependent on Part Thickness Material Gate Location

Part Design – Rib Design Rib thickness is not limited by sink marks The MuCell process eliminates sink marks Design ribs for performance and not process Ribs can be equal to the nominal wall thickness Draft angle of 1 degree per side Walls should be free of undercuts Ribs should have a minimum 0.5 mm radius

Part Design - Bosses Boss should be cored out completely to minimize Postblow Use special high conductivity materials (BeCu, Amco, etc.) Connect boss to part with minimum R 0.5 mm Add ribs at thin bosses Wall thickness > 0.3 mm Rib thickness > 80% of nominal wall Avoids back flow of material and air traps

Part Design - Bosses Metal core heats up and causes hot spot Bad design with huge material concentration At short cooling times part surface is not strong enough to hold gas pressure and material swells out (postblow) High conductive material is recommended to dissipate temperature Mold (core) separation Improved screw boss design Alternative design

Test Results with PBT GF30 Celanex 2300 Solid, 5% and 10% Weight Reduction Screw: Delta PT 50 x 25 Hole Ø 4.0 mm (0.8 x screw Ø)

Loss in inner wall due to shrinkage Part Design – Bosses Solid Thread engagement is higher with MuCell due to shrinkage on the inner wall of the boss in solid molding Loss in inner wall due to shrinkage

Thread engagement is primarily in the solid wall Part Design – Bosses MuCell Thread engagement is primarily in the solid wall

Part Design - Bosses dh d1 = Major Diameter of Fastner dh = Hole Ø = 0.8 x d1 dB = Boss Outside Ø = 2 x d1 dC = Counterbore Ø = d1 + 0.2mm dp = Minimum Penetration Depth = 2 x d1 0.3 to 0.4 x d1 dp = 2 X d1 n = w X 0.75 w = Nominal Wall Thickness dh Hole Diameter Maximum Draft Angle = ½º per side Counter Bore is Important in Reducing Boss Cracking Hole ID May Range From 0.72 to 0.88 x d1 Depending on Fastner Design n = w x 0.75 is Required for Faster Cycle Times The main dimension is the screw diameter and belonging to the diameter you can calculate all other boss dimensions you need for designing your part.

Outline Fundamentals of MuCell Basic Part Design Design Optimization for MuCell Expansion Molding 24 24

Limitations of Solid Molding Solid molding is constrained by: Need to push plastic from gate to end of fill without freezing off Need to pack the part along the entire flow length… To reduce shrinkage for dimensional stability To reduce sink marks and vacuum voids These processing limitations impose design restrictions that affect the ability to reduce wall thickness The MuCell Process removes these restrictions! 25

Designing for Function Weight reduction by designing part for function and not process Wall thickness optimized for performance requirements not for packing requirement Means thinner nominal wall and higher L/t ratios Viscosity reduction due to SCF Pack pressure is applied through foaming How is this applied 2.5 mm wall at 375 mm flow length (150:1 L/t) 8-10% MuCell density reduction 2.0 mm wall at 375 mm flow length (188:1 L/t) 20% Design reduction plus 6–8% MuCell density reduction. 26-28% Total reduction

Differences in Wall Thicknesses Filling from “thin to thick“ Wall to rib ratio 1:1 possible Possible (recommended) injection with MuCell® Injection in solid (with MuCell® still possible) Conventional design MuCell® design

Interior Trim Volkswagen Touran LIGHTWEIGHTING APPLICATION Interior Trim Volkswagen Touran Design Drivers: Energy absorption on impact No visible sink marks through PVC layer Deletion of “plug-in-module“ Conventional Design: Base thickness: 4.4 mm Plug in module: 65 g MuCell-Design: Base thickness: 2.2 mm Rib thickness: 2.2 mm Comparison of MuCell Design vs. Conventional Design Equivalent or better energy absorption Approx. 40 % reduction in part weight 20 % through wall thickness reduction 14 % through deletion of “plug-in-module“ 6 % through density reduction

LIGHTWEIGHTING APPLICATION Fan Shroud BMW Design Drivers: Mechanical strength for hubs and stators Minimal wall thickness for air deflection - Hub and stators 2 mm Reduced wall to 1 mm MuCell-Design: Hub & stators: 2.0 mm Air deflection: 1.0 mm Conventional Design: Base thickness: 2.0 mm WEIGHT SAVINGS PER SHROUD: 410 GR / 0.9 LBS. 29

LIGHTWEIGHTING APPLICATION First to Market MuCell® Instrument Panel 2012 MY Ford Escape/Kuga Instrument Panel 30 30

2012 MY Ford Escape/Kuga Instrument Panel Value Summary Technology Advantages 1.0 pound in weight savings 15% cycle time reduction 45% clamp tonnage reduction Consumer Benefits I/P system weight reduction contributes to improved vehicle fuel economy Green – reduced carbon foot print by using less material and energy to produce parts Cost saving approximately $3 per vehicle 31 31

Outline Fundamentals of MuCell Basic Part Design Design Optimization for MuCell Expansion Molding 32 32

Unique Foaming Solutions Injection/Expansion Molding using the MuCell process

INJECTION EXPANSION MOLDING Combining the MuCell process with a secondary expansion process Fill mold cavity close to solid weight with SCF laden polymer Increase mold cavity volume to allow for uniform expansion 6 mm

INJECTION EXPANSION MOLDING

INJECTION EXPANSION MOLDING Expansion applications targets Door Carriers Load Floors Under Body Shields Engine Covers Flexible Soft Foams IP’s (Dolphin) Floats

IINJECTION EXPANSION MOLDING The MuCell process allows for expansion ratios up to 4X Double what is achievable with other foaming technologies The high expansion ratios provide unique part performance Superb weight to stiffness ratios when using LGF materials Stiffness is proportional to thickness cubed Most standard plastic part design options can be used Dog houses, Screw bosses, Ribs Openings Limitations Expansion only in direction of mold or core movement Corners are not sharp Requires special tools

Summary The MuCell process incorporates small amounts of physical foaming agent into the polymer melt to create a microcellular foam structure Reduction in material viscosity Gas expansion replaces the function of the pack/hold phase Reduced residual stress results in improved dimensions Improved contact with the mold surface shortens cooling This leads to part design for function not process Flow can be from thin to thick Wall thickness variations are more easily tolerated Larger part weight reduction then can be achieved from MuCell foaming alone The MuCell process can be combined with other processes to achieve very unique part and cost structures