(BASF) -- BASF's designfabrik is offering a new tool to designers and development engineers working in automotive design. The ⌠Material Kit is an attractively designed sample case that displays a large proportion of BASF's know-how in materials: Organized on the basis of feel, appearance and function, the Material Kit presents more than 30 different BASF products in the form of 4 x 6 cm samples that can be touched and felt.
As a result, designers can get a real feel for the BASF products they are considering for their automobile interior design concepts. In addition, text cards provide brief yet precise information on the materials' properties and specific uses. The materials can be examined, touched and compared, be they satin- or leather-like finishes, rigid or flexible polyurethane surfaces, foams, coatings, pigments, ceramic powders for injection molding or high-performance thermoplastic resins. As an application-oriented instrument, the Material Kit gives designers a feeling for the material from the very beginning of the creative development process.
BASF introduced the Material Kit to initial customers at the end of 2009. In October 2010, the innovative kit was honored by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE Europe, 10th Automotive Award) with its ⌠Grand Innovation Award in the Image / Product Brochure category for its novel approach and high-quality execution.