SABIC and CK Technologies Help Volvo Trucks Blaze a New Trail with Industry’s First Injection-molded Thermoplastic Roof Fairing

Published Mar 26, 2012

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — March 26, 2012 — SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced that its collaboration with CK Technologies, a provider of engineered plastic systems, and Volvo Trucks North America has produced the trucking industry’s first injection-molded roof fairing, soon to be featured on all 2013 Volvo heavy-duty trucks. This large component, molded with SABIC’s tough Cycoloy* polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) resin and CK Technologies’ proprietary in-mold coating (IMC) technology, delivers high strength, excellent heat stability and impact performance with a Class A surface. The roof fairing demonstrates the feasibility of replacing traditional thermosets with thermoplastics to reduce weight and energy requirements for manufacturing and enable recycling. Further, the IMC process yields a fully primed part, eliminating the secondary coating steps that generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This major breakthrough provides a more environmentally responsible alternative to thermosets without sacrificing the outstanding performance and aesthetics that truck OEMs and end customers expect.