Extrusion International 4-2024

27 Extrusion International 4/2024 The Cologne-based company BIO-FED has launched a new prod- uct line under the brand name M·BIOBASE ® . The plastic com- pounds in this product line aremade partly or completely from biobased and/or biomass-balanced materials. Thanks to the use of renewable raw materials, M·BIOBASE ® com - pounds have an improved CO 2 footprint (product carbon footprint) compared to conventional fossil-based plastics. One example of this is the used biomass-bal- anced polypropylene (PP), which is ob- tained from waste e.g. res- idues from veg - etable oil refining or used cooking oil (UCO). The compounds produced with this mate- rial are ISCC PLUS certified, which guarantees the traceability of the sustainable material flow along the entire value chain. Another example of the use of renewable raw materials in M·BIOBASE ® compounds is the use of organic fillers such as wood or lignin from waste streams from the timber industry. M·BIOBASE ® materials are suit - able for injection moulding and extrusion and can be used for a va - riety of applications. The product portfolio is also being continuously expanded. In addition to the M·BIOBASE ® portfolio, BIO-FED supplies the matching masterbatches AF-Cir- Color ® (colour masterbatches), AF-CirCarbon ® (carbon black concentrates) and AF-CirCom- plex ® (additive masterbatches), which are based on biomass-bal- anced carrier material and therefore also contribute to reducing the CO 2 footprint. BIO-FED Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH www.bio-fed.com New Product Line Three M-BIOBASE® compounds with different proportions of wood fibres (© BIO-FED) Lightweight Tubes for Electric Vehicles NORMA Group has been awarded a major contract to equip a new platform for small to medium elec - tric passenger cars with lightweight tubes for the battery thermal man - agement system. The customer’s ve- hicle platform encompasses several car models and targets to enable efficient city mobility. The contract is worth more than EUR 30 million. Starting in December 2026, NORMA Group will deliver around 1.4 mil- lion tubes to the customer per year. CEO Guido Grandi: “Large-scale production and availability of small and medium electric vehicles will be a main driver for the transition to - wards a low-emission, more climate- friendlymobility. This contract proves that with our engineering expertise, our standardized quality manage - ment and our global manufacturing footprint we are the right partner for leading car manufacturers as they broaden and scale up their portfolio of battery-electric vehicles.” The tubes are made of thermo - plastic elastomer, a light and flex- ible material. With its material and design quality, a TP Flex tube signifi- cantly reduces the pressure drop of the fluid that flows through it. The tube is therefore well suited for use in the thermal management systems of electric vehicles where it is particu- lar challenging to keep the pressure in the cooling circuit evenly high. The tubes will be manufactured at NORMA Group’s plant in Subotica, Serbia. For the contract, the com- pany will invest in new ergonomic assembly lines and in modernizing existing thermoforming equipment. NORMA Group www.normagroup.com NORMA Group's TP Flex tube is used in the battery thermal management system