Timing is everything for Dow MobilityScience

MIDLAND, Mich.—Within the new automotive landscape, it's not just about developing innovative, effective solutions for an array of new challenges. It's also about timing.

Dow Inc. believes that the timing of new developments is just as important as the materials that go into each product. So the Midland-based company is giving its customers an edge when it comes to developing solutions for next-generation electric vehicles by opening a pair of MobilityScience Studios. The facilities, which are laboratories dedicated to NVH, sealing and under-the-hood applications, each represent a multi-million dollar investment made over several years, according to Tim Boven, Dow's MobilityScience growth director.

The exact investment was not disclosed, but there's good reason for that investment being made now.

"The automotive sector is facing pressure to evolve fast and reinvent itself to cut carbon emissions, and we want to support them on this journey," Boven said in an email interview. "OEMs need a partner who can help them take full advantage of developing technology so they can shape the connected autonomous mobility of tomorrow—whether that's working in-person or through virtual means."

So Dow built its MobilityScience Studios with both technology and communications in mind. Each of the two laboratories—in Midland and Lake Jackson, Texas—have a different focus, but they complement each other in their capabilities and expertise.

"While the chemistries and applications of focus differ at (Lake Jackson) compared to Midland, both studios can address acoustics challenges in different ways," Robert Guerrieri, North America marketing manager for transportation, Dow packaging and specialty plastics, said in an email. "Customers can utilize both studios simultaneously to construct solutions agnostic of chemistry, like addressing changes in sound frequencies in electric vehicles through polyurethane-based foam or EPDM weatherstrips. Having access to both studios provides customers breadth to redesign mobility for the future."

In Midland, it's all about acoustics.

Next-generation vehicles—particularly those with electric propulsion—demand more from NVH products. Without an engine to mask the sound of tires rolling along roadways, wind whooshing by windows or vibrations from other parts of the vehicle, every small sound makes a big impact.

Dow offers a range of materials that can help OEMs and their suppliers keep rides quiet. The MobilityScience Studio is dedicated to proving just how much of a difference that can be.

"We wanted our automotive OEMs and tiers customers to have access to Dow's vast portfolio of polyurethane foams, elastomers, resins, coatings materials and specialty materials and to work alongside Dow experts who bridge the gap between acoustics and materials," Esther Quintanilla, global mobility market leader for Dow Polyurethanes, said in an email.

The testing chamber in Midland offers a range of tools for analytics and improvement of performance. Dow's Betafoam lab, for instance, allows for the development and refinement of body cavity filling foam formulations for NVH applications.

According to Quintanilla, Betafoam offers consistent, cost-effective sealing for improved NVH performance compared to traditional baffles. The material is effective in dampening high-frequency noises and tones, and it can be used in both EVs and internal combustion engine applications.

"In addition, our high-resolution digital microscopy equipment allows us to thoroughly evaluate the cell size and microstructure of foam applications," Quintanilla said. "Using an added layer of analysis, we can offer deeper insights regarding the NVH performance of the materials selected and refine solutions to best meet customers' specific needs."

The Lake Jackson lab, meanwhile, is designed with EPDM, mixing and extrusion in mind. The facility focuses on advanced EPDM solutions for sealing and under-the-hood applications such as weatherstrips, hoses and belts for sealing, fluid management and powertrain.

Texas, Guerrieri said, was a natural fit for this lab.

"Dow has a large presence and history in Texas, as the Freeport site—close to Lake Jackson—is the largest integrated chemical manufacturing complex in the Western Hemisphere," Guerrieri said. "It's a great location with access to the majority of our technical service and research and development experts in rubber and elastomer development, making it an ideal spot to house innovation capabilities that allow customers to quickly turn ideas into prototypes."

Guerrieri noted that the main technologies at the Texas facility include compounding and mixing, compound testing, extrusion and curing, and physical property testing.

For these tests, Dow produces what Guerrieri calls "precise, repeatable formulation development" using mixing and milling equipment that also can optimize batch sizes. This allows for precise, accurate testing of both cured and uncured rubber formulations.

The facility also boasts three Mooney viscometers, a moving die rheometer and two rubber process analyzers. A range of physical property testing technologies also are available through the lab, as is equipment for the testing of extrusion, curing and foaming performance.

Moreover, the Lake Jackson facility is designed to keep customers at the heart of product development. The facility is equipped with cameras that offer customers remote access to any trials being conducted. This allows them to continuously monitor the process and communicate virtually with the technicians and experts overseeing any experimentation.

"We essentially see the studios as a catalyst for collaboration with customers to better connect them with our products and capabilities, ranging from custom product formulations to factory line implementation," Boven said. "The studios provide a cooperative workspace that features a world-class suite of testing capabilities focused on acoustic and powertrain solutions for the fast-paced automotive industry."