DuPont Highlights Safety

Aiming to get in on the ground floor in new safety system development, DuPont Co. unveils at SAE a new business group that combines more than 60 different product lines into one unit.

The move lumps a variety of materials and technologies with safety related applications, such as nylon (airbag covers), Kevlar (structural reinforcement) and engineering plastics (impact-absorbing bumpers and interior pillars) into one centralized organization called the DuPont Automotive Safety Initiative.

A prime objective of the initiative is to get DuPont involved with new safety system development at OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers during the initial design stages, says Craig G. Naylor, group vice president, DuPont Performance Materials.

Early involvement in development can yield many more cost savings and efficiencies, Naylor says.

In addition to nylon, Kevlar and engineering plastics, the new organization also includes DuPont products such as:

SentryGlas Plus, an interlayer for laminated side windows; microcircuit materials such as ceramics and precious-metal compounds that can be used for new collision-avoidance electronics; “The Wedge” polyvinyl butyral interlayer for head-up windshield displays; and biochemical sensor materials that have the potential for non-invasive evaluation of the physical condition of drivers.

In total, these separate technologies and businesses account for $600 million in current revenue, DuPont says.