Travelling light Dow

TRAVELLING LIGHT TRAVELLING LIGHT

Dow (NYSE) is one of the world’s most successful and iconic chemical companies with sales of nearly $50 billion and 50,000 employees worldwide. One of Dow’s many flagship products is STYROFOAM™, which was invented 75 years ago and is still used today extensively in the caravan and motorhome industry. The product’s mechanical properties and core strength are used to advantage in countless applications and it offers particular benefits for the manufacturers of caravans and motorhomes, as Erik Severien reports.

Erik Severien – Sales Manager Dow Building Solutions - Core Composites - EMEAI

Although invented over 75 years ago, STYROFOAM™ boards have been used for more than 40 years as a core material for composite panels. It allows for precision processing and is highly stable with over 20 million square metres of composite panels with their blue interior successfully installed to date.

With this long-term practical experience, Dow has built up a wealth of sound technical and technological know-how, which is particularly important for the successful development of solutions for composite panel production.

Environmental concerns increasingly focus attention on the need for more sustainable construction materials that offer long-term performance. The inherent properties and performance characteristics of STYROFOAM™ make it a highly efficient material for long-term use in composite panels.

Core benefits

One of the most popular construction methods for today’s motorhomes and caravans is what is known as ‘composite construction’, where separate composite components, or panels are produced and then assembled in order to create a structure. These composite panels usually consist of a core material, which in the case of STYROFOAM™ is a rigid foam core. In the caravan and motorhome industry its key applications are for walls, floors, ceilings and roofs.

Because of its special rigidity, with STYROFOAM™ XPS it is possible to reduce the number of panels required and cross sections of wooden inserts used in floor panels for example, while retaining their core strength.

Leading manufacturers benefit from a very high strength-to-weight ratio of composite panels with STYROFOAM™ in the production of their vehicles. With camper vans and portable cabins, the long-term thermal performance of the product plays a significant role, especially important for long-term comfort at low temperatures during winter season operations.

STYROFOAM™ composite panels also provide a high mechanical strength to withstand the vibrations and stresses in camper vans, caravans and portable cabins. The panels provide good rigidity and load carrying capability and are able to optimise the absorption of dynamic forces and impacts throughout the life of the vehicle. What is more, the lightweight nature of the foam also improves fuel efficiency over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Wide range of thermal properties

Dow’s STYROFOAM™ materials have been used for decades as effective thermal insulation in the construction industry where energy efficiency is necessary and in continuous demand. The well- established STYROFOAM™ materials offer a wide range of thermal

conductivity properties, which means that manufacturers can tailor panels to meet specific requirements.

Effectively insulating vehicles can keep caravans cool in summer and warm in winter and make life on board more comfortable. Furthermore, it can also support environmental responsibility by reducing the need for additional cooling or heating.

The closed cell structure of STYROFOAM™ offers an additional benefit when it comes to the problem of moisture levels in the air. The product absorbs very little water, thereby not only offering long-term durability to the composite components, but maintaining thermal conductivity and efficient insulation performance.

Unique benefits

Dow is continuing to build on its knowledge in this sector by investing in the next generation of core materials that combine the proven reliability of STYROFOAM™ with improved insulation for all industry segments and especially caravans.

Erik Severien, the company’s EMEAI sales manager responsible for core composite products, said, “We are building on our heritage by continuing to improve the performance characteristics of the materials we offer and to look towards eastern Europe for example. We will continue to work closely with customers on the development of such improvements and aim to continue supporting them as consumers demand better performing solutions which meet their changing needs.

Severien added, “The game-changer is when consumers start to demand caravans and motor homes with STYROFOAM™ at the core, and if we continue to raise awareness alongside our partners about the exceptional benefits the material can bring thanks to its closed cell structure, we believe they will be more inclined to select a caravan based on the material at its core. The material has such a key effect on comfort as well as performance that it really does make a difference to consumers’ enjoyment of their motorhome or caravan.” Zero waste

Today all STYROFOAM™ products are Chlorofluorocarbon- and hydrochlorofluorocarbon- (CFC & HCFC) free and comply with the strictest EC regulations – EC Regulation No 2037/2000 (1 October 2000) on substances which deplete the ozone layer.

They are also produced without ‘REACH’ substance of very high concern (SVHC), which is important for the EU market.

STYROFOAM™ and XENERGY™ products are also 100 per cent recyclable meaning zero waste potential. At the end of the life of the caravans, the panels can be re-used thanks to the durability of the core STYROFOAM™ boards, or the calorific potential of the foam could be easily recovered. In addition the boards can be cut with precision, thus generating less waste, and the light weight-strength ratio of the products can also help to improve fuel efficiency. n

For further details of Dow’s latest innovative products and services to the caravan and motorhome industry visit: http://caravans.dow.com/

References to ‘Dow’ or the ‘Company’ mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.