This month, the Interflex team travelled to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland to attend the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) Regional Forum – Focus on the North East. As well as offering a great opportunity to unveil the sustainable new innovations we’ve been working on, the event presented the always welcome chance to network with industry colleagues and generate leads for our exciting new products.

Introducing Ocean

At the event, we took the opportunity to update attendees on the latest developments with our wide range of acoustic and thermal products for use within both interior and exterior applications. However, our main focus was on introducing our fantastic new lightweight material, Ocean, which is already being used with great success in the motor industry and also has great potential in the reduction of noise issues in the rail, marine, and construction sectors.

Responsible innovation

At Interflex, the development of acoustic, thermal and trim components has been at the heart of what we do for over 30 years. Using our core skill of the developing and manufacturing f components using reverse engineering, all our innovations, including Ocean, are driven with by the following  aims:

  • Product design which better utilises material yields
  • Material selections to meet cost and performance
  • Reducing shape complexity to reduce tooling costs
  • Reducing the need for more costly moulded NVH
  • Weight reduction
  • Repeatable results for vehicle life –not just when tested
  • Use of recycled materials and materials that can themselves be recycled

With this ethos, we constantly evolve to meet the increasing and ever-changing demands of the automotive industry.

A sustainable, high-performance future

Throughout the process of creating our new material Ocean, our focus was on creating a replacement material designed to have a lower impact on our environment as we believe the necessary switch towards greener driving should involve all aspects of the vehicle’s design, not just an electric engine.

Ocean is manufactured from 75% recycled polyester to offer a solution to the overuse of plastic-based materials. This reduces the impact on the environment without loss of performance or higher costs.

Not only that, Ocean is recyclable at the end of its long lifespan and has the added benefit of being manufactured in the UK and  Europe, which means users can reduce their carbon footprint.

Benefits of Ocean

In summary, the benefits we were able to share with colleagues about our exciting new acoustic absorber were as follows:

  • High-performance acoustic absorber
  • Lightweight & flexible formulation
  • Tuneable performance by weight & thickness
  • Cost, weight and performance competitive
  • Made using up to 75% recycled fibres
  • Recyclable at end of vehicle life
  • Heat sealable
  • Water and oil resistant versions available

Given the interest at the event and the fact that Ocean is already being used by OEMs in the manufacture of vehicles, we are very excited about the future of this fantastic acoustic absorption material.

Learning from our peers

As well as sharing our latest innovations, the SMMT forum provided a great opportunity to learn about other developments from industry peers and to share thoughts on how the sector is responding to the challenges of net zero, levelling up opportunities and the development of new products and technologies.  At a challenging time for the automotive industry, it was also interesting to hear the thoughts of Alan Johnson, vice president of Nissan UK Sunderland Plant, in his keynote address to delegates.

NVH solutions for the modern world

Our single source solution to both your NVH and Trim requirements reduces the need for multiple suppliers and has the following benefits:

  • Over 30 years’ experience within the automotive industry
  • Customer focused quality and service at the heart of what we do
  • Wealth of Knowledge and Know How –Our early involvement in projects and wealth of expertise counters unnecessary costs
  • Low overhead structure
  • Competitive pricing
  • Good financial security

For more information on Ocean and our other high performance products including bulkheads, interior trim, boot seals, under bonnet and under carpet, please call 01949 861 494 or email sales@interflex2000.com.