Monday, December 21, 2009 ContiTech and BASF Reach New Milestone in Lightweight Construction
 For the first time, a transmission cross beam has been manufactured of plastic polyamide and used as standard in the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo 550i. By choosing Ultramid A3WG10 CR instead of aluminum, it was possible to reduce the weight of the part by 50%. The cross beam, which was developed by ContiTech Vibration Control in close cooperation with BMW and BASF, received an award just a few days after standard production of the vehicle got started—in the Industry category, it landed the first place Innovation Award conferred by the Federation of Reinforced Plastics. In addition to weight reduction, development focused on optimum vehicle acoustics and crash safety. Another advantage is better recyclability. (LB)
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