What happens when material mastery meets extrusion expertise? Maillefer and Celanese join forces to redefine the possibilities for dynamic and semi-dynamic automotive weather seals made of TPV.
Maillefer and Celanese cooperate from Switzerland to make expertise and performance available to producers of automotive weather seals, both in terms of extrusion and TPV materials.
In cooperation with material supplier Celanese, Maillefer announces their new application development and proving concept for producing automotive dynamic weather seals made of TPV. The expertise found within the Davis- Standard group of companies, of which Maillefer is part, combined with those of Celanese are making it all possible. The capabilities offered from Switzerland now lead the way for seal manufacturers to shift from EPDM rubber to more sustainable thermoplastic elastomer.
Most of today’s dynamic weather seals can be quite complex to manufacture. They are made of EPDM rubber and other polymers, are structured in layers, take on various shapes, include functional parts, can be foamed or solid, and may include a metallic reinforcement. In terms of sustainability, such seals are challenging to recycle. Plus, their combined weight matters when installed on electric vehicles, where every kilogram counts.
As Maillefer and Celanese industrialize their offerings for weather seals, it expects leading manufacturers to demand new TPV product designs in place of their current EPDM constructions. For the project, Maillefer brings forth its expertise and long-term experience in multi-layer, multi-compound transformation processes.
The goal given by the project partners is to define, develop and validate an industrialized solution for both the processing equipment and the material formulations. Both Celanese and Maillefer welcome seal producers to Switzerland for proving their own product designs. An extrusion line specifically suited for the project and the corresponding materials await.
Pascal Scaramuzzino, PhD, Global Product Manager, leads the development efforts at Maillefer. He reveals the first constructions that are under trial this year, “We begin by processing a rather simple U-shaped profile with up to three different Santoprene® TPV grades and formulations simulating three different functionalities. Then we’ll be stepping it up to a co-extruded foamed bulb construction also with three different formulations. It will be exciting to confirm the potential in cooperation with Celanese and our colleagues within the Davis- Standard group.”
Indeed, both Maillefer and Celanese launched their offering for weather seals at K 2025. The Düsseldorf show was an ideal venue for seal manufacturers to discover the collaborative development work and organize their future visits to the Swiss facilities. Maillefer and Celanese, as project partners, are facilitating the way to a more sustainable weather seal that is simpler to process, easier to recycle, is more cost-effective, and weighs less on electric vehicles.
Partnerships with leading material suppliers serving common customers, like Celanese, are essential for ensuring progress. Together with Exelliq, also a member of the Davis Standard group of companies, Maillefer is leveraging the innovation possibilities with TPV weather seals.
Pascal Scaramuzzino, PhD
Global Product Manager
pascal.scaramuzzino@maillefer.net