Plastic recyclates in the automotive industry: Audi begins mass production of radiator grilles with recycled content

Hamburg, September 3, 2024. For the first time, Audi is mass-producing painted radiator grilles made from a blend of polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recyclates for the new Audi A3 Sportback and Audi A3 Sedan. This groundbreaking achievement is the result of a collaboration between MOCOM, a specialist in compounding and recycling, Winning Plastics, a leading plastics processor, and Audi.

“Our objective is to systematically increase the use of recycled materials in Audi vehicles. With the A3 model update, the painted radiator grille ontains a significant portion of secondary raw materials for the first time. As a key design element of Audi models, the grille must meet high standards in design, appearance, and quality, in addition to specific mechanical requirements,” explains Frank Fischer from Audi’s Materials Engineering department.

The project team encountered challenges due to the stringent technical requirements for mechanical properties in safety-critical components and the high purity needed for the material to be reused in painted parts. “Developing and producing radiator grilles with recycled content was an exciting process”, says Werner Meschitz, Head of Innovations at Winning Plastics. “Suitable recyclates were not available off-the-shelf, so together with our partner MOCOM, we developed a recycled compound that partially incorporates painted scrap components from our own production. Standard recycling methods for scrap parts leave too many contaminants and paint residues, making it impossible to reuse the material in a new radiator grille. However, MOCOM’s innovative process, particularly in paint removal, ensures the required purity of the recyclate, enabling a closed-loop recycling system.”

How does paint removal from plastic parts work?

The recycling process begins with scrap parts from production, known as post-industrial materials. In this case, these are painted radiator grilles with purely cosmetic defects, such as dust inclusions. After the defective parts are shredded into approximately 30-millimeter pieces, they are processed in a hammer mill uniquely designed by MOCOM. Here, the paint is removed primarily through friction, and the resulting debris is vacuumed away. The paint residue is discarded, while the de-painted PC+PET material is further processed into regranulate.

Next, during extrusion, the plastic mass undergoes fine melt filtration, where it is passed through special filters. The resulting PC+PET recyclate is then blended at a nominal 27 percent into the production of new radiator grilles for vehicle manufacturing. This process offers a cost-effective recycling solution with a lower carbon footprint compared to using new materials.

“As experts in processing production waste, contributing to the development and implementation of this sustainable solution was an exciting challenge for us at MOCOM,” says Thomas Marquardt, Managing Director of Sales, Marketing & Development at WIPAG, a MOCOM subsidiary. “Our unique technologies enabled us to create a high-quality plastic compound with recycled content that meets the stringent requirements for manufacturing radiator grilles. The successful integration of recyclates in automotive plastic components opens up new opportunities for the entire automotive industry.”

About Winning Plastics

Winning Plastics is a leading company in the processing and finishing of plastic materials, with over 50 years of experience in the international automotive industry. The company operates from three locations in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Winning Plastics develops and produces radiator grilles, frames, mirror caps, emblems, nameplates, decorative parts, day and night design elements, and functional components that meet the highest quality and design standards required by OEMs.

The Winning Plastics Group brings together leading companies in the plastics, surface finishing, and electroplating industries, ensuring top-tier results. Winning Plastics employs around 1,260 people across its production sites in Germany (Diepersdorf, Oberlungwitz, Gütersloh, Gottmadingen, Lüdenscheid) and the Czech Republic (Hustopeče).

The company is certified according to IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, ISO 14001, and the TISAX system.

For more information, visit winningplastics.com.

About MOCOM

MOCOM GmbH & Co. KG, with its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, is a global compounder of thermoplastic polymers. The company offers the plastics processing industry a comprehensive product range of high-performance plastics as well as sustainable technical compound solutions.

In addition to specialties (Alcom®, Tedur®) and customized products (Altech®, Altech NXT® PP, Alfater XL®), the portfolio includes a variety of near-to-prime recycling products (Alcom® ECO, Altech® ECO, Alfater XL® ECO). Also part of the sustainable portfolio is the lightweight compound WIC, which is made from secondary carbon fiber, and the products WIPAFLEX and WIPELAST. In addition, MOCOM uses innovative recycling technologies to process plastic waste streams, which are reused as valuable materials in the products of the processing industries.

MOCOM serves the following industries, including: Automotive, Electric and Electronics, Home and Garden, and Sports and Leisure.

As part of the Hamburg-based Otto Krahn Group, MOCOM employs around 750 people with production sites in Germany (Hamburg, Erlenbach, Gardelegen, Neuburg a. d. D., Zülpich) as well as the USA (Duncan, South Carolina) and China (Changshu).

MOCOM was awarded Gold by the independent rating agency EcoVadis. The company is also certified in accordance with the IATF 16949 and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards.

For more information, visit mocom.eu/en.