Andreas Szak, CEO of Acrysign Kunststofftechnik GmbH in Europe, reveals how his company was able to showcase a sports car using a composite floor made using Plexiglas Optical HC, the branded acrylic glass from Evonik, and special inlays.
The design of exhibition spaces is an important part of automotive showcases at large trade fairs. These vehicles represent the latest technical accomplishments of automotive manufacturers and the sophisticated ideas of designers. Thousands of visitors throng these exhibition halls, and every exhibitor wants their presentation to stand out in the crowd. The vehicles are polished to an incredible shine, and presented in spectacular lighting with fitting music and an impressive program of events.
Booth design plays an important role in the competition for attention. Sophisticated concepts allow the exhibitors to fascinate and surprise the visitors with the booths as unique as the models being presented. While visitors are already used to carpet, wood and other smooth floors, composite flooring, for example, really catches the eye. It consists of two different materials that allow special effects to be created on the floor.
According to Mr Szak, the materials for booth construction at motor shows need to be of good quality and carefully processed. Above all, they need to be able to withstand the weight of the car and the footwear of the visitors, so the floor definitely has to be scratch-resistant.
Describing their work on the booth construction for Audi at the Paris Motor Show where they built a floor that sparkled like a diamond under the lights, he explained that the primary objective was to present the cars as premium. One of the exhibits on show was a high-performance sports car, typically associated with speed, adventure and luxury. That is what gave them the idea of producing a high-gloss surface with a depth effect using silicon carbide.
Seeking to envelop the silicon carbide with a suitable material that would accentuate its sparkling properties, they chose Plexiglas Optical HC, a material with outstanding transparency that ensured brilliance while its scratch resistance made it ideal for the trade fair flooring, which would need to withstand heavy foot traffic.
The flooring was made of three layers, with inlays cast in resin placed between two layers of Plexiglas Optical HC plates. Everything was then glued together with silicon carbide sandwiched between Plexiglas plates on top and underneath. The result was a floor measuring 1,500 kilograms in weight, 20 metres long and three metres wide.
The flooring was transported to the exhibition hall in the form of 35 individual plates that were then joined together on site. The trade fair flooring was completed in just two weeks.
Allstar Plastics specialises in custom made products manufactured from a broad range of materials including acrylic, polycarbonate, Aluminium Composite Material (ACM), HDPE, polypropylene, polystyrene, PETG, PVC and engineering plastics.
Image: The floor created for the Audi showcase at the Paris Motor Show
