At the SAE 99 Autoshow in Detroit (Michigan, USA) from March 1-4, Fagerdala World Foams AB (HQ: S-13482 Gustavsberg) presented a completely new concept for a car dashboard in a joint venture project with Lear Corporation Inc. This component is produced from an expanded polypropylene particle foam (EPP). It is manufactured and processed within the Fagerdala World Foams Group and is subsequently completed by Lear to produce this “new generation dashboard.”

According to the German Fagerdala subsidiary Gefinex Polymerschäume GmbH (Rote Erde 6, D-33803 Steinhagen), the new concept offers a number of advantages. For example, the new mould technology makes it possible to produce a Class A surface through “Fawocel” (EPP) and a plastic film. “Fawocel” is a non-squeaking material, free of fogging and fully recyclable. Through the new concept, a weight reduction of 30% can be achieved for the dashboards. “Fawocel” has a high heat resistance of over 130° C.

With sales of approx. USD 155m and around 900 employees, the Fagerdala World Foams Group claims to be one of the world´s leading suppliers of flexible foams. The Group has locations on nearly every continent, with companies in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, China, the USA and India. In order to be able to offer the automotive industry in North America even better support, Fagerdala World Foams recently acquired Pac-Lite Products Inc (Mariene City, Michigan, USA), a converter of EPS and other foams for packaging and automotive applications. The company will gain the “Fawocel” and “Fawolit” (XPP) activities in 1999.

Corporate brochure, Fagerdala World Foams (German): PIE-No. 43241 – Gefinex company profile brochure “Ideas from foam”: PIE-No. 37252 (Brochure: “PP foams” (English, German, French): PIE-No. 43243 – Brochure: EPP returnable packagings (English, German, French): PIE-No. 43242.