Pittsburgh – Sept. 17, 2008 – For years, the mobile diagnostic carts used throughout the automobile industry have created challenges for automakers. The carts’ side rails were typically made from extruded steel tubing and sheet metal. When the carts were accidentally bumped into vehicles on assembly lines or in service departments, they would often cause scratches or dents which would have to be repaired later. Cart manufacturer Spectrum Composites of Auburn Hills, Mich., realized something needed to be done.

To eliminate damage to vehicles in service departments, the BayStar™ Automotive Diagnostic Cart features side rails manufactured using the Bayflex® 110-50 RIM system from Bayer MaterialScience, an elastomeric polyurethane that is similar to the material used in car bumpers.

Manufacturing the existing side rails of the cart was complex. There were eight components that required bending, shaping and a lot of assembly. To solve the problem, Spectrum President, Jim Heim, called on Nino Mastrolonardo, technical sales/engineering manager of Thieme Corporation in St. Charles, Ill. Together they discussed the possibility of designing a new side rail – one that would replace the steel tubing with a single molded piece and eliminate the problem of scratching and denting.

Thieme, a specialist in reaction injection molding (RIM) systems, tapped into the expertise of Bayer MaterialScience. Craig Snyder, senior technical marketing representative for BaySystems™, the umbrella brand for the global polyurethane systems operations of Bayer MaterialScience, worked with the team from start to finish. Since this was not a typical application, Snyder suggested they perform a mold flow analysis to ensure the material flowed easily through both thin and thick parts of the mold. For the material, the BaySystems™ expert selected the Bayflex® 110-50 RIM system, an elastomeric polyurethane used extensively in auto panels. Bayflex® resin systems are marketed under BaySystems™.

The result is a newly designed BayStar™ Automotive Diagnostic Cart, with molded side rails, which was generated by Thieme’s Design Engineer, Michael Richardson. “The Bayflex® 110-50 polyurethane not only allowed us to achieve the performance requirements, but also allowed us to attain the ergonomic ‘European’ styling characteristics,” says Richardson.

“Bayflex® 110-50 polyurethane was the ideal choice for this application. Not only is it lightweight and rigid, but it also has a certain amount of elasticity – much like a car bumper,” comments Mastrolonardo. “The low abrasion factor and material’s anti-marring characteristics were exactly what was necessary to keep the side rails from damaging the vehicles.”

The RIM system proved to be extremely cost effective for Spectrum. “There was a great reduction in assembly time, since the rails are molded as one unit,” said Heim. “The two end caps, which encapsulated the three metal tubes required with the old design, actually cost more than one Bayflex® RIM molded cart rail! With the new system, we don’t have to put together eight different parts. And there’s an aesthetic improvement as well.”

The BayStar™ Diagnostic Cart is already on the road to success. Its mobile diagnostic capabilities are now matched by its equally high-tech, low-profile design. And the bumper-like side rails make nicks and dents as obsolete as last year’s car model.

About Bayer MaterialScience
Effective March 1, 2007, Bayer MaterialScience has combined its entire global polyurethane systems business under the umbrella brand of BaySystems™. This change affects not only existing product brands in this segment – including Bayflex® – but also the global network of polyurethane systems houses. More information about BaySystems™ can be found at www.bayer-baysystems.com.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 15,400 employees at 30 sites around the world and 2007 sales of 10.4 billion euros. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Our inorganic basic chemicals unit produces chlorine and related essential products for the chemicals industry. Let us give life to your vision. Bayer MaterialScience – Where VisionWorks.

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2007 net sales of 8.1 billion euros and employed 16,800 at year end. Bayer’s three subgroups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose, prevent and treat diseases; protect crops and enhance yields; and advance automobile safety and durability.

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