New Delhi – Indian automobile component manufacturers are increasingly focusing on lightweighting of vehicles at Delhi’s 16th Auto Expo. The companies are reacting to demand from automotive OEMs launching electric, hybrid and hydrogen ranges, for whom lightweighting is more crucial than ever.
Gurgaon-headquartered Paracoat Products is a producer of components that reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and components that manage heat, for the domestic automotive industry. Paracoat showcased its latest inner dash foam at the Auto Component show at Pragati Maidan – an event that runs consecutively with the biennial Auto Expo.
“We are showcasing inner dash PU foam, which is a low-density PU foam with high noise absorption properties,” said Debash Chatterjee, SVP, R&D and innovation, Paracoat Products. Paracoat commenced commercial production of inner dash foam last year and the foam made its public debut in January at the Auto Components show in New Delhi.
With a focus on lightweighting, Paracoat developed a PU foam with a reduced density. “Earlier, PU foam in the inner dash used was of 60kg/m3 density but we have developed PU foam in 20-25kg/m3 density for inner dash, reducing the weight by almost a third,” said Chatterjee. The low-density foam is designed to improve the in-cabin experience by cutting noise from the engine, the road, and passing vehicles.
Paracoat supplies most of the major automotive OEMs in Indiaa. It has a wide range of PU products for application under the bonnet (hood), firewall, dash inner and carpet underlay. But it does nos supply foam for car seats. But, Chatterjee, explains, even before seats are taken into consideration, the average car uses 2-4kg of PU foam.
Established in 1974, Paracoat operates four sites based at major auto hubs in the country: Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Halol (Gujarat), Hosur (Tamil Nadu) and Pune (Maharashtra), and an overseas facility in Thailand. Paracoat’s PU products are produced at Bhiwadi, Halol and Hosur. The company has several strategic joint projects with global partners, including Parkar Corporation of Japan.
