Automotive

ARPRO manages impact energy by absorbing it, then returning to its original shape. ARPRO is ideal for multiple impact protection such as vehicle crash applications, and is widely used in automotive interiors to improve occupant safety.

ARPRO is "always on" keeping occupants safe even if the car is not running, or the electronics and associated sensors fail. ARPRO is a key component in pedestrian safety systems. ARPRO bumpers drastically reduce injury severity for pedestrians when compared to alternative materials or design approaches. 

Metal wireframes can be incorporated into ARPRO allowing the removal of body-in-white elements leading to significant weight savings, improved fuel economy and reduced vehicle emissions.

ARPRO is widely used in automotive interiors to improve occupant safety. Applications include; side impact protection, head impact protection, head rests, A B C pillar, knee protection and more. 

 

An important safety benefit of ARPRO is its ability to withstand repeated impact and to return to its original shape, ready to deliver its safety performance time after time.

BMW i8 

Top of picture, a car door with a black outer trim and an inner white material and silver handle. Bottom picture: a black plastic car door mould that fits into the inside of the upper picture

BMW i8 door with ARPRO 

Long black piece of moulded ARPRO (expanded polypropylene). At the top there are smoothed slightly rounded areas in which you would sit on and the bottom area has straight lined ridges

Anti submarine seat ramp, preventing you from slipping out under the lap belt during a collision. From a Volvo XC60

Baby sitting in red, grey and black car baby seat

Incredibly light child car seat from Avionaut 

Face on view of a rear car seat without fabric covering, showing metal fixings and recessed compartment that has felt in

Rear car seat with flocked recessed compartment for Jaguar Land Rover

An almost triangular shaped piece of ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) with raised bumps. Shaped like a front car footwell

Front footwell floor leveller from VW

ARPRO is a key component in meeting the requirements for pedestrian safety systems. ARPRO bumpers result in far lighter pedestrian compliant solutions, and need no additional space versus alternative materials or design approaches.

 

ARPRO bumper systems are up to 50% lighter and 20% faster in assembly, than alternatives, eliminating the need for secondary fasteners whilst bringing reduced tooling investments.

 

Expert design and unique material properties enable ARPRO bumper systems to deliver crash performance and pedestrian safety to Euro NCAP standards set against increasing space-restriction and styling demands, and are compatible with the latest generation of pedestrian safety sensors.

Black ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) moulded bumper inside a white shiny cover signifying the front fascia.

ARPRO bumper inside the front fascia 

View of side of a curved bumper with a circle cut out to the middle left and cut out grooves in both the top and bottom

Porsche 911 bumper 

Black ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) moulded bumper with a large void in the middle with cut out grooves in both the top and bottom

Maserati bumper 

Black ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) moulded bumper segment, left side if facing the car. Has two rectangular cut outs along the bottom and a curved recess along the top.

VW bumper segment

ARPRO storage systems are space saving and efficient for the user. The ARPRO part is lightweight and contains shaped recesses for tools, jacks, wheels, inflation kit etc. This allows easy use and storage for all the car parts you hopefully never need.

 

If you want to see a stowage system in real life then…go to your car, open the boot and look for the tool box or spare wheel holders.

Car tools in a triangular shaped moulded housing made from Black ARPRO (expanded polypropylene)

A car tool box 

A grey tool box for an Volvo XC60 made from porous ARPRO (expanded polypropylene)

And a car tool box from a Volvo XC60

A black circular piece of ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) moulded into a tool box for a Fiat car

And a car tool box from a Fiat 

We focus our optimisation efforts on achieving best performance at minimal system weight.

 

Metal wireframes or polymer elements can be incorporated into ARPRO resulting in hybrid material solutions which enables the reduction or elimination of structural components leading to significant weight savings, improved fuel economy and reduced vehicle emissions.

 

Different h-points for seats, corresponding to different body styles, can be engineered into the seat itself, reducing tooling costs and speeding up the development process.

Long black piece of moulded ARPRO (expanded polypropylene). At the top there are smoothed slightly rounded areas in which you would sit on and the bottom area has straight lined ridges

Anti submarine seat ramp, preventing you from slipping out under the lap belt during a collision. From a Volvo XC60

Baby sitting in red, grey and black car baby seat

Incredibly light weight child car seat from Avionaut 

ARPRO complements its excellent energy absorption capability with impressive acoustic performance. The macroscopic tortuosity of ARPRO Porous absorbs incident sound waves resulting in an acoustic attenuation up to 3dBA vs. ARPRO Black for the main ARPRO Porous applications (tool boxes and seating). 

 

ARPRO is a unique, closed cell material that features air pockets (or voids) within the hollow cylinder-shaped particle structure; these enhance acoustic performance.

 

ARPRO Porous is used to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), with tests showing noise reduction levels of up to ten times that of alternative materials. ARPRO Porous is used extensively in car interiors to reduce noise levels without increasing weight.

Two separate long black pieces of moulded ARPRO (expanded polypropylene), which when joined make a seat ramp. At the top there are smoothed slightly rounded areas and the bottom area has ridges

A sound absorbing seat ramp for an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, made in two separate parts

Two long black pieces of moulded ARPRO (expanded polypropylene), joined to form a seat ramp. At the top there are smoothed slightly rounded areas and the bottom area has ridges

A sound absorbing seat ramp for an Alfa Romeo Stelvio made in two parts now joined together

Moulded particles of ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) in Porous, available in various sizes and densities

ARPRO Porous 

The aesthetics of ARPRO are incredibly versatile, with options ranging from colours, surface textures, and fabric coverings.

 

Tool surface treatment and finishing techniques make it possible to generate a wide variety of patterns in various sizes and depths. The excellent post expansion ability of ARPRO enables superb quality surfaces that can be used in visible aesthetic applications.  

 

In addition, snap fit, tight tolerances enabling precision parts, living hinges and the ability for complex shapes make ARPRO a unique material.

Grey ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) with a indented diamond surface, Dragon Fruit ARPRO with a bumpy dotted surface, Orange ARPRO with a cell structure surface and Lime ARPRO with a multi directional line surface.

Different colour and surface options 

Five rectangular boxes moulded from ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) colours - Blueberry, Dragon Fruit, Orange, Lemon and Lime

ARPRO Colour options 

Black ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) with a very thin hinge, called a living hinge

A living hinge 

Dragon Fruit ARPRO (expanded polypropylene) with wire mesh moulded into it

Moulding ARPRO with other materials