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Montell's Automotive Technology and Development Center Background

4 December 1998

Montell's Automotive Technology and Development Center Background

    LANSING, Mich., Dec. 3 -- The Montell Automotive Technology
and Development Center is a dedicated product development and application
testing center supporting the automotive industry.  Its focus is on enhancing
material performance properties such as stiffness/impact balance,
processability, weatherability, paintability and paint durability that can
result in weight and cost savings -- all important properties and benefits to
automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers.
    The Center and its technical staff recently played an integral role in the
General Motors and Montell joint development of a new family of thermoplastic
olefin-based nanocomposities.
    Located in the University Corporate Research Park at Michigan State
University (MSU), the 70,000 square foot Center of Excellence provides
extensive research and development testing laboratories, as well as CAD/CAE
capabilities for part and mold design.  The facility includes small-scale
pilot production equipment for product development and customer evaluation
sampling of Montell's polypropylene-based polymer composite material alloys
(PCMA), resins from the Catalloy process and Hivalloy engineering resin
alloys.  The Center offers access to local prototyping and specialized large
part painting and finishing services.  It specifically has access to
specialized testing facilities that maintain the latest technology and
equipment to meet end use application performance requirements demanded by
automotive OEMs and their suppliers.
    The Center's strategic location makes it particularly well situated to
support Montell's sales to the North American automotive industry.  The
Lansing facility is within easy access to all major auto manufacturers and
their Tier I and 2 suppliers.  A 90-mile circle around Lansing encompasses
about 80 percent of Montell's North American automotive customer base.
    The building consists of a two-story general office area for business
support staff, two single-level technical office wings for product development
personnel and six major laboratory areas.  Located in the high bay area are
pilot production, fabrication and warehousing areas.  The Center's pilot lab
prepares small samples of new product formulations; test parts are molded in
its fabrication area.  The facility also utilizes state-of-the-art accelerated
weathering testing and color matching equipment. In addition, the Center has
extensive physical testing, environmental and paint laboratories.  The on-site
pilot line helps Montell accelerate product and process development and
testing, while enabling the company to design experiments without disturbing
its manufacturing facilities.
    The Montell facility enjoys a long-standing cooperative education
relationship with MSU that enables students to work in responsible roles in
the chemical industry while completing undergraduate degree programs.  The
Center has regular use of MSU's Composite Materials Center, and collaborative
interaction with faculty members from various areas of the school also foster
a mutually beneficial relationship.