The VDI Material Engineering section organises an Automotive, TPE & Technology Symposium to be held from 23 – 24 March 2011 in São Paulo, Brazil. Approximately 16 technical lectures (including slides in Portuguese) will be given in the following sessions: TPE/rubber, foaming processes (from TPE to EPP), automotive engineering, machinery and mould technology.

Preliminary programme:

Plenary lecture

• "Technology trends in automobiles", Stauber, University of Erlangen,

TPE/rubber

• "Substitutions of rubber with TPE from a scientific point of view", Masberg, IKV, RWTH Aachen
• "TPE/rubber composite", Averdano, Allod Werkstoff GmbH & Co. KG
• "Economical production of door bellows - Tailored materials and process technology", Köstler, Veritas AG and Schweiger, Schweiger Formenbau GmbH & Co. KG
• "LSR composite technology", Landl, Rico GmbH
• "Elastollan - TPU for demanding automotive applications - Trends and innovations", Barbosa, BASF Poliurethanos Ltda.*

Foaming: from TPE to EPP

• "TPE-foaming of door linings", Kaufmann, Georg Kaufmann AG
• "Blowing agent for cork-filled foams", Ender, Müller Kunststoffe GmbH & Co. KG
• "News in the fields of foam injection moulding and in the gas injection technology", Molina, Stieler Kunststoff Service
• "Innovations in the EPP area", Kurtz, Kurtz Holding GmbH

Automotive Engineering

• "Surround vision systems in vehicle construction", Fonseca, Lang Mekra do Brasil*

In this section there will be two further presentations from VW* and Mercedes-Benz do Brasil Ltda.* Details to be defined.

Mechanical engineering and mould design

• "Innovations from the K show", Bürkle, KraussMaffei
• "Injection moulding in lightweight construction", Neumann, Engel GmbH
• "Cycle time as a factor for profitability in manufacturing", Olivetto, LWB Steinl

Conference chairs are Herbert Buschle, Dr. Bernd Mayer, and Kurt Gebert.

*in Portuguese