Wacker opens airbag development laboratory in Japan

WACKER Asahikasei Silicone (AWS) has recently opened the Airbag Competence Center of Excellence in Silicones (ACES), its new development laboratory for airbag applications. 

Located at the AWS technical center in Tsukuba, some 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, the ACES aims to pioneer the development of silicone coatings for airbags and technical textiles in the region. It will work with airbag manufacturers and their suppliers.

With roughly €1 million in investments, the new competence center is equipped to develop novel high-performance silicone materials for coating airbags. It can handle key material tests, including coating, heat-resistance and fire-safety testing. 

With the airbag market growing by 6% to 7% annually and manufacturing being done in Asia, the company wants to focus on the region, according to Peter Summo, head of Wacker’s Engineering Silicones business unit. The firm hopes to leverage ACES in contributing to the development of innovative airbag technologies toward making vehicles much safer.

Modern vehicles have airbags in steering wheels and dashboards, seats, doors, and roof liners. Because of its weight and safety benefits, many manufacturers turn to silicones for the coating material. Besides adhering well to airbag fabrics, silicones improve the fabrics’ leaktightness and air-holding performance. 

Further, silicones protect the fabrics from the initial heat and hot gases that inflate airbags in milliseconds. Silicone topcoats also reduce surface friction on deployment, which enables airbags to inflate uniformly and instantly.

The lightweight of silicones likewise proves beneficial, with saving weight becoming a more vital issue as the number of airbags in cars rises. 

Wacker Asahikasei Silicone is jointly owned by Wacker and the Japanese chemical group Asahi Chemical Industry. Each has a 50% stake on the company. The joint venture produces silicone emulsions and solid and liquid silicone rubber for the Japanese market.