In the previous Specs, number 5, we have described the status of the airbag developments. At that moment we were investigating the possibilities and we can now say that we have an interesting proposal for the market.
We have made a number of bags and the bags can withstand a high static pressure. We are still working on the production method and the resin and yarn developments. A major advantage of our process is the possibility to make light weight laminates from heavy tow yarns. Lighter materials are less costly of course which is an important item in the automotive industry.
The resin we have used is thermoplastic, making it possible to weld the laminate. In the example of the side curtain bag, we have placed a divider. This I-shaped beam is holding the layers at a certain distance but the gas inside the bag can still flow freely between the chambers in the bag. It may not come as a surprise that this divider is also a Crossply product.
The next step is to make Unidirectional laminates with 700 and 940 dtex polyamide yarns on our UD600 machine. This material will be used for making Crossply material on a prototype scale. In this manner we can deliver larger quantities of material to our interested customers. My wish is however still valid, to never see a bag in operation in the car you are in.