Crafter “van of the year 2017” uses Akyboard®

Lower weight and emissions reduction has never been more important for the automotive industry. VW, in cooperation with suppliers has developed a lighter, stiffer, easier to clean, better-looking, material for wall lining. This new material is produced by DS Smith and was proudly presented during IAA 2016 exhibition in Hannover.

Challenge: To develop lighter wall lining material

Ambitious targets set by the VW group for wall lining material included decreasing weight without harming performance or compromising on other technical specifications. Generally speaking, the material should be light, should have the VW Corporate colours, the right thickness, be visually appealing (with a special skin surface) and on top of that should pass all class A tests typical for automotive interiors.

Our approach: Keep it simple

From the beginning we decided to focus our efforts in addressing this complex situation on keeping things as simple as possible for both the customer and DS Smith. Easy and clear lines of communication helped us all to exchange the necessary information across all our European plants and with the customer. From there, it was simpler to transform the information into action and produce the best possible solution respecting tight time schedules and advanced technical specifications.

Results: material with lower weight and good visual aspect

  • Significant weight reduction
  • Impact Resistance
  • Very good car body protection
  • 100 % recyclable
  • Reduced CO2 emissions and enhance savings on fuel use
  • Resistant to chemical agents and wate
  • Visually appealing
  • Easy to clean
  • Allows increased payload

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