Paint adds a great surface finish to automobile parts, but painting also adds cost, time, and other logistics requirements. Avient collaborated with a leading global automotive OEM and its injection molder to eliminate paint from a new vehicle’s interior.
To support the transition to molded-in-color (MIC) parts, the customer specified Avient’s metallic-effect Smartbatch™ FX masterbatch colorants for two PC/ABS side panels on the center console of a compact SUV.
By using Smartbatch™ FX, the molder was able to produce parts ready for assembly with no secondary processing required. Suitable for standard injection molding machinery, Smartbatch™ FX reduced the cost per part by 30 percent or more compared to painted parts. Lowered energy requirements versus painting and the reduction of VOCs also made this masterbatch a more environmentally sustainable solution.