RadiciGroup at 51th Dornbirn Man Made Fibres Congress - 19-21 September 2012. "The evolution of Nylon Yarns for Automotive Carpeting Applications"

1. “The Evolution of Nylon Yarns for
Automotive Carpeting Applications”
Arturo Andreoni
Marketing Manager Radifloor®
Roberto Vedovati
Radifloor® AutomotiveYarn Manager
RADICIGROUP
51° Dornbirn Man Made Fibers Congress
19 – 21.09.2012

2. The sequence
1. RadiciGroup
2. The Nylon BCF Carpet Market in Europe
3. The Automotive Market in Europe
4. The Nylon BCF Carpet Yarn Evolution
5. The Wear Resistance of BCF Carpet Yarns
6. Conclusions

3. 1. RADICIGROUP

4. RadiciGroup
RadiciGroup is one of the most active chemicals companies at an international level.
Its diversified businesses operate worldwide and are focused on Chemicals,
Plastics and Synthetic Fibres.
The Group has total control over its production chain, from chemical intermediates,
such as adipic acid and polyamide 6 and 66, to engineering plastics, and man-made
fibres..
RadiciGroup’s products are exported all over the world, and are the starting-point for
developments in the clothing, sport, furnishings, automotive, electrical/electronic
and appliances sectors.
3,500 employees
1,238 million euros
2011 Turnover
Radici Partecipazioni

5. A Worldwide Presence
EUROPE
Mendrisio (CH)
Stabio (CH)
Podborany (CZ)
Overath (D)
Hamburg (D)
Lüneburg (D)
Reutlingen (D)
Tröglitz (D)
Viernheim (D)
Selbitz (D)
La Carolina (ES)
Saint Priest (F)
Szentgotthard (H)
Andalo Valtellino (IT)
Ardesio (IT)
Casnigo (IT) AMERICA ASIA
Chignolo d’Isola (IT)
Gandino (IT) Buenos Aires (RA) Noida (IND)
Novara (IT) Rio Grande (RA) Shanghai (CN)
Trivero (IT) Araçariguama (BR) Suzhou (CN)
Villa d’Ogna (IT) São José dos Campos (BR)
Savinesti (RO) Gastonia (USA)
London (UK) Wadsworth (USA)

7. Sustainability According to RadiciGroup
1) Organizational Models ISO 9000, ISO 14000, OHSAS 18000, SA 8000,
ISO 50001, ISO 14064.
2) Certifications (mandatory and voluntary) along with R&D efforts
• REACH
• LCA applied to all main products.
• Eco-Profiles, EPDs, Ecolabel, Oekotex
3) Kyoto protocol parameters : 20/20/20 +20% recycled materials.
4) Sustainability as an approach to corporate governance,
an approach based on GRI Global Reporting Initiative protocol.

8. 2. THE NYLON BCF CARPET
MARKET IN EUROPE

9. Nylon BCF/NSF in EUROPE, the PRODUCERS scenario
1990 2000 2012
ICI Fibres DuPont -
DuPont -
Enka -
Rhone Poulenc Rhodia -
Nordfaser -
Bayer -
Snia -
Enichem -
Wellman Wellman -
Radici Radici Radici
Aquafil Aquafil Aquafil
Beaulieu Group Beaulieu/ Domo Beaulieu /Xentrys
ITC / Balta ITC / Balta ITC / Balta
Allied -
BASF -
15 7 4

10. Nylon BCF in EUROPE,
Nylon BCF EU27 Production
the PRODUCTION (Kton/year)
scenario 2004 186
2005 187
The reduction to 4 nylon 2006 187
BCF producers in 2012 has 2007 187
been driven by: 2008 163
• the exit from the fibres 2009 135
2010 145
business of big integrated
2011 128
chemicals groups.
•The erosion of carpets 100
80
use in the floorcovering
market. 60 Others
(%)
Floorcoverings
40
• And by interfibre 51
Carpets
20 38
competition (mainly PP).
0
EU 2000 EU 2011

11. 100
Automotive
(%)
50
Contract
Residential
0
Nylon BCF
Nylon BCF in EUROPE, the DEMAND by end use
Today the overall opportunity for nylon BCF in European
carpets (excluding export) is reduced to about 100
Kton/y with some recovery in the Automotive “premium
brand” sector.

12. 3. THE AUTOMOTIVE
MARKET IN
EUROPE

13. Top 10 assembly forecast - data by brand - EU
Brand 2011 2012 2013
Volkswagen 2.315.419 2.342.089 2.298.255
Mercedes Benz 1.208.591 1.269.199 1.390.964
Ford 1.148.443 1.154.982 1.295.338
Peugeot 1.284.516 1.144.138 1.200.663
Audi 1.079.469 1.131.062 1.164.749
Opel - Vauxhall 1.207.337 1.077.736 1.145.272
BMW 974.849 1.020.548 1.051.999
Renault 1.224.069 958.679 939.146
Citroen 987.453 908.801 902.285
Fiat 782.634 735.142 822.133
Top 10 total assembly 12.212.780 11.742.376 12.210.804
Top 10 (% of regional total) 72,6 71,5 71,4

14. Car classification - car segment
Car classification
American
British English Euro Car Segment Examples
English
Microcar,
Microcar Smart Fortwo
Bubble car
A-segment mini cars
Renault Twingo, Ford Ka, Fiat 500, Tata
City car
Nano, Suzuki Alto
Subcompact car
Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Opel
Supermini B-segment small cars
Corsa, Citroën DS3, Peugeot 207
C-segment medium Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Toyota Auris,
Compact car Small family car
cars Volkswagen Golf, Chevrolet Cruze
Ford Mondeo, Hyundai Sonata, Opel
Mid-size car Large family car Insignia, Chevrolet Malibu, IKCO
Samand
D-segment large cars
Entry-level Compact Acura TSX, Alfa Romeo 159, Mercedes
luxury car executive car C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac CTS
Ford Crown Victoria, Holden
Full-size car
E-segment executive Commodore, Chevrolet Impala
Executive car
Mid-size luxury cars Lexus GS, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF,
car Volvo S80, Chrysler 300
Full-size luxury AUDI A-8, BMW 7 Series; Mercedes S-
Luxury car F-segment luxury cars
car Class

15. 4. THE NYLON BCF CARPET YARN
EVOLUTION

16. BCF vs Staple
(*)
(*) : Bulk Continuos Filament

17. Tufted BCF vs. Needle Punch
Compared with Needle-
punch made from staple,
we can obtain carpets
with improved:
• Cleanability
• Aesthetics
• Coverage , also at
reduced weight
• Perceived Quality
• Wear resistance

18. Floor carpet type by car segment
non woven low weight non woven high weight avg > 320 gsm PA6 BCF >400 gsm PA66 spun
<350gsm 500 gsm
today ≥400 gsm PA6 BCF
non woven (needle punch) tuft
400 gsm PA6
non woven low weight non woven high avg 340 gsm BCF
>500 gsm PA66 spun
up to 2004 <350gsm weight avg 500 gsm BCF PA6 400 gsmPA66
spun
non woven (needle punch) tuft
CAR Segment
classification
A B C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 E2 F1 F2
•A: mini cars •D: large cars
•B: small cars •E: executive cars
•C: medium cars •F: luxury cars

19. BCF yarn type by dpf and by car segment
BCF PA6 8 and 10 DPF
today BCF PA6 8 DPF
non woven (needle punch) tuft
BCF PA6 10
BCF PA6 10 DPF
up to 2004 and 20 DPF
non woven (needle punch) tuft
CAR Segment
classification
A B C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 E2 F1 F2
•A: mini cars •D: large cars
•B: small cars •E: executive cars
•C: medium cars •F: luxury cars

20. Evolution of the dpf for the BCF yarns
10X 10X
Up to
2004
19 DPF 10 DPF
10X 10X
In the
Today future ?
8 DPF 7 DPF

21. Top: sectional view of a fine gauge. Bottom: sectional view of a coarse gauge
Carpet construction evolution
Suitable Gauge Gauge Needles
for yarn (inches) (in mm) (per
type meter)
5/64’’
with:
1/10’’
20-10 dpf 1/10 2.54 mm 394
Top: sectional view of a fine gauge.
8 dpf 5/64 1.98 mm 504 Bottom: sectional view of a coarse gauge
Gauge: distance between two needle points on tufting machines

22. To summarize, the BCF yarn evolution experience
application final
dpf tufting gauge touch
description application
mats for after-market 19,1 1/10" rough mats
STANDARD FOR MATS
BUSINESS mainly OES 15,5 1/10" medium mats
and some OEM
only small projects on
5/64" main floor
14,0 5/64" medium main floor, mats
standard for 1/10" floor, luggage and
flooring and mats
10,2 1/10" ( 5/64") soft
mats
STANDARD FOR floor, luggage and
SAMTVELOUR 5/64"
8,0 5/64" (1/16") very soft
mats
under devepolment
floor, luggage and
for high quality carpet 7,2 5/64" (1/16") extreme soft
mats
( mats included)

23. 5. THE WEAR RESISTANCE OF BCF
CARPET YARNS

24. Carpet functionality in a car
•Cleanability
•Aesthetics
•Haptics (optical & touch feeling)
•Coverage at reduced weight
•Perceived Quality
•Wear resistance

25. Carpet Requirements in a car
• A carpet surface must withstand a specified amount of foot and
cargo abrasion.
• Driver and passenger front foot wells are most prone to wear from
occupants’ feet, particularly from:
• Entering and exiting the vehicle
• Normal foot and body movement while travelling in the
vehicle
• Heel mats (vinyl or TPO) enhance wear characteristics in the area
of the accelerator and brake pedal.
• Accessory floor mats are still ‘options’.

26. Wear resistance, EU Taber Tests
• Test and requirements differ between OEMs, e.g.:
• BMW (Tufted )
– H18/1000 revs/10N – weight loss, aspect, Grey Scale
• Ford (Tufted )
– H18/2000 revs/10N – weight loss, aspect
• Toyota (Tufted )
– H18/300 revs/10N – weight loss, aspect
• Note – Conditions for non-woven carpets are usually less
severe and are assessed mainly on aspect

27. Wear resistance, Taber test samples
Differences in colour between
abraded/non abraded area
(central area)

28. Wear resistance, Taber test results
Abrasion grey scale test
Sample No. colour Gauge pile weight (g/m2) (g) dpf (1÷5) result
12 beige 5/64" 350 0,09 10 >3 OK
8 black 5/64" 400 0,057 10 >3 OK
4 black 5/64" 420 0,08 10 >3 OK
5 beige 5/64" 450 0,034 10 >3 OK
1 black 5/64" 320 0,051 8 >3 OK
9 beige 5/64" 330 0,04 8 >3 OK
2 beige 5/64" 390 0,04 8 >3 OK
3 black 5/64" 500 0,032 8 >3 OK
7 beige 5/64" 500 0,028 8 >3 OK
13 beige 5/64" 290 0,09 7 >3 OK
Test conditions: Test targets:
H18 wheels, 10N, 1000 cycles Weight loss < 0,25 g
Grey scale > 3

29. Conclusions
• Let me thanks MAGNA Eybl (Ebergassing – Austria):
– Mr. Walter Ecker (B.U. Manager & Dev. Automotive Carpet
M.gr).
• This development project gave us the possibility to dismantle
some prejudices regarding the adoption of lighter carpets
without loosing performances.
• Because we have demonstrated that there is no correlation
between lower dpf yarns and less wear resistance!
• We continue to explore the way low dpf yarns for H.P. Carpets
applications behave in the car industry.

30. Thank You
To contact us :
RADICIFIL SpA
Via Europa, 41
I-24020 CASNIGO (BG)
www.radicigroup.com