PIAE ("Plastics in Automotive Engineering") is the world’s largest congress for plastics experts in the automotive industry. This year’s highlights of the event are an extensive trade exhibition, a selected specialist program and a topics extending special day. A special focus is on the challenges of the automotive megatrends. PIAE 2018, formerly known as KIA ("Kunststoffe im Automobilbau)") meets under its new name for the first time, thus, opening its doors to visitors from all over the world.

The accompanying trade exhibition of the PIAE congress has now become one of the highlights of the event. Part of the exhibition is again the auto show. Here, manufacturers present new models and innovations of the automotive industry. On two floors, more than 110 national and international exhibitors will be presenting innovative plastic technology solutions. At the trade fair, companies along the entire process chain are represented. It is one of the largest exhibitions in the field of plastics in the automobile.

Attendees of the congress can see and feel numerous patterns at Covestro’s Sample Bar to experience the fascinating properties of today’s plastics. For the first time as an exhibitor, the Open Hybrid LabFactory e.V. (OHLF) participates this year. At the so-called lightweight construction campus in Wolfsburg, OHLF is, among other things, developing hybrid components and production techniques for major automotive manufacturers. At a special exhibition area at the PIAE 2018, OHLF will be presenting innovations in multifunctional lightweight construction. The leading international polymer specialist Rehau presents its innovations for the automotive sector at the PIAE 2018 booth. Trinseo, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tailor-made thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) solutions, will present its new portfolio of soft plastics for automotive applications at the trade show.

The parallel workshop offers participants of the congress the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in terms of plastics in automobiles. The workshop "Plastic foams in vehicles" will present different methods of foam production as well as their successful implementation and application in practice.

The Exhibitors of PIAE 2018 amongst others are:

• RadiciGroup Performance Plastics
• Covestro Deutschland AG
• Trinseo Deutschland
• BASF
• REHAU AG + Co
• FRIMO Group GmbH
• ARBURG GmbH + Co. KG
• Linde AG

PIAE’s new World Café titled "Challenges of Automotive and Social Trends to Automotive Plastic Applications in Vehicles" gives participants the opportunity to discuss possible strategies and insights on various topics in small groups. The contents of the World Café address issues related to autonomous driving, value change and shared mobility.

At the exclusive PIAE press conference, on 14/03/2018 from 13:15 – 14:15, experts will discuss about the special role of hybrid components regarding the demands of automotive megatrends under the motto "Metal-Plastic Hybrids: Materials for the Mobility of the Future"

Registration and program at https://www.vdi-wissensforum.de/… www.vdi-wissensforum.de as well as at the VDI Wissensforum customer service, Postbox 10 11 39, 40002 Duesseldorf, E-Mail: wissensforum@vdi.de, Telephone: +49 211 6214-201, Telefax: -154.