Air intake manifolds made from Nylon-6 improve the engine performance whereas the weight and costs are reduced as compared to metal parts.

The air intake manifold of an internal combustion engine inhales and delivers air to the cylinders. This part has a complex hollow shape that is challenging for manufactures.
Furthermore, it is necessary to resist the explosive internal pressure increase, the engine vibrations, the high temperature and other loads such as the contact with fuel and oil. Nylon-6 is the material of choice for this demanding application.

Synthetic resins offer significant advantages over metals for the performance and production of air intake manifolds:

• improved engine performance and higher fuel efficiency due to better air-intake properties (lower inhaled air temperature and thus higher air density);
  
• engine horsepower increase due to the inside smoothness;
  
• reduced weight (about 50% less than aluminium);
  
• lower production costs (20-50% less than aluminium).

Nylon-6 provides a superior balance of properties for air intake manifolds including impact strength, general strength and stiffness. The excellent moldability (better than PS) is combined with excellent properties at high temperature (better than PP) and a high resistance to fuels and oil (better than PP).

The properties of Nylon-6 also compare favourably to other types of nylon:

• better processability, higher mould stability and lower production costs;
  
• higher impact resistance;
  
• better short-term and long-term heat resistance;
  
• superior surface appearance and smoothness.

Nylon-6 also provides excellent performance for similar parts like air pumps and air-ducts.

Nylon-6 is compatible with all major methods of production for air intake manifolds and other complex automotive parts.

• outperforming toughness and fatigue resistance;
• superb wear, abrasion and friction behaviour;
• good retention of stiffness and long term heat stability;
• good resistance to oil, chemicals and hydrolysis.

Automotive covers Nylon-6 is applied increasingly for automotive covers because it provides an excellent surface appearance and durability with a lower weight and less costs than metals.

Covers are used extensively for moving parts of engines and for the car engine itself. Surface appearance, durability and low production costs are important features.

Nylon-6 has various properties that are important for automotive covers:

• outperforming toughness and fatigue resistance;
• superb wear, abrasion and friction behaviour;
• good retention of stiffness and long term heat stability;
• good resistance to oil, chemicals and hydrolysis

Nylon-6 outperforms other nylon types in automotive covers, providing a superior surface appearance, low warpage, better heat aging resistance and higher impact resistance. Nylon-6 also has intrinsically a better processability, broader processing window and better weldability (due to its higher burst pressure).
Furthermore, Nylon-6 has lower energy costs and lower overall production costs.

Nylon-6 copolymer for dentist chairs maximises part integration.

Dentist chairs are increasingly comfortable and sophisticated. The latest versions include pressure sensors and have the option to store a patients preferred body position in memory for future visits.

Nylon-6 copolymer with elastomer enables to make a dentist chair from only two parts: an 11 kg seat and a 4 kg back. Sectional wall thickness ranges from 80 mm to only 0.6 mm. The latter being essential to the functioning of localised pressure sensors. The reduction in the total number of seams also helps to eliminate dirt collection and promotes good hygiene through ease of cleaning.Nylon-6 copolymers offer significant advantages for dentist chairs and similar applications:

• excellent toughness and resilience;

• superior stiffness/flexibility balance for comfort;

• design freedom, both thick and thin sections can be molded in a single part;

• cost efficient tooling of large parts with complex geometry.

Nylon-6 is increasingly used for relay boxes in demanding E&E applications because it provides excellent toughness and high stiffness at low costs.

Relay boxes are the heart of E&E applications and countless numbers with increasingly complex shapes are used in demanding applications. Exact dimensions, durability and low production costs are important features.

Nylon-6 has various properties that are required for relay boxes:

• excellent toughness and fatigue resistance;
• high stiffness and good long term heat stability;
• good resistance to oil, chemicals and hydrolysis.

Nylon-6 has various advantages for relay boxes as compared to other nylon types, providing a higher weld-line strength and a better heat aging resistance.
Nylon-6 also has intrinsically a better processability and superior flow characteristics, making possible more complex shapes at higher production rates.
Furthermore, Nylon-6 has lower energy costs and lower overall production costs.

Stadium seats made from Nylon-6 are colourful, safe and hooligan proof.

Sport stadiums have to be attractive and functional but there can never be enough preventive measures to improve safety. This is underlined by reports which increasingly record acts of vandalism and “encounters” in and outside sporting arenas. Those responsible for safety also have to pay attention to the seats, which hooligans often can damage and tear up without any difficulty.

Nylon-6 provides an excellent alternative to polypropylene for the manufacture of stadium seats with brighter colours, a brilliant surface quality and a better resistance to ageing (especially outside). Also the seats attract less dirt.

Moreover, high viscosity Nylon-6 is available for moulding without the need for additives that are generally essential for producing equipment for sports facilities complying with international self-extinguishing standards. This is a big advantage over the polypropylene normally used for this type of product, which needs fireproofing agents.

The absence of self-extinguishing additives not only lowers the price of the seats, it also affects its safety and environmental compatibility. In a fire no toxics are released by Nylon-6, in contrast to propylene with additives. Moreover, the smoke has a lower visibility reduction effect than that of polypropylene containing additives. This feature cannot be overemphasised, as lack of visibility - and therefore inability to find the exits - is often the main cause of deaths in fires, more common even than suffocation.

Last but not least, a seat made of high viscosity Nylon-6 also withstands the most intemperate supporters. Proof of this has been a empirical but very effective test – some tough guys were challenged to tear the seats from their mountings. The promised reward was not paid because the seats did not come away from their anchorage points.