Putting the customer first

Faster, more cost-effective development of components is vital to customers of Bayer MaterialScience in maximizing their competitive edge. To allow faster access to design-relevant material parameters, the Polycarbonates Business Unit, in an interdisciplinary team made up of material scientists, physicists, mathematicians and chemists, has developed a unique software tool in collaboration with the Design and Processing Properties department. This tool is used for calculating and predicting the design and processing parameters of molded thermoplastic parts and can now be downloaded free of charge as a demo version from the german Plastics TechCenter website. This special software enables customers to calculate for themselves the permissible load limits of thermoplastics depending on the load type, processing temperatures and molding thickness in a temperature window ranging from minus 40 degrees Celsius to the softening point. The process is user friendly and can draw on online support from the company's in-house computer.
Testing technology and its dynamic further development for the customer's ultimate benefit are both key aspects of the Bayer MaterialScience strategy. "These themes are becoming more and more important today because the demands of the market are becoming ever more extensive and dynamic," explains Dr. Michael Schmidt, Head of Testing Technology & New Testing Methods in the Thermoplastics Testing Center. "In other words, the market tells us what it expects from us in terms of testing technology and we implement that as quickly as possible." What's more, since the end of 2004, the Thermoplastics Testing Center has become the only department of Bayer MaterialScience now offering most of its 200 or so standardized testing procedures as a service on the external market. As well as extensive testing procedures, this all-inclusive service also includes the manufacture of granules and around 150 test specimen geometries.
The Bayer Group slogan "Bayer – Science For A Better Life" encapsulates precisely the ongoing commitment of Bayer MaterialScience to its customers and consumers.
The sensitive and topical issue of air quality inside houses and cars highlights how Bayer puts people first when developing state-of-the-art material solutions by fostering cooperation between all the business units. A key development goal is to further enhance the environmental compatibility of materials and components used in houses and vehicle interiors. Covering the whole development chain from the laboratory and Technical Service Center to production at the customer's plant, the Physical Testing department, working with the Analytics section of Bayer Industry Services, has developed a broad portfolio of common emission and odor tests, including a 1,000-liter emission test chamber. As an emission tester "on the front line", Dr. Holtkamp knows how all this helps make the world a safer place.

Leverkusen, 2005-04-04