BASF, Toyota and Vuteq win SPE Innovation Award for the rear storage panel design on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner

WYANDOTTE, MI, November 14, 2024 – BASF, Toyota and Vuteq have won the  Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Innovation Award in the body interior category for the rear storage panel design on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma™ TRD PreRunner XTRACAB model. This injection molded giant rear storage panel design, the first adoption of its kind, provides additional interior storage convenience.

The rear storage panel, injection molded by Vuteq Guanajuato Mexico, utilizes a unique combination of BASF’s two different Ultramid^® polyamide glass and mineral filled grades. The molded outer panel uses an enhanced high-flow resin, that also helps meet color requirements on the multi-textured (four grain levels) tool, while the molded inner panel uses a higher loading of glass and mineral content. This innovative use of materials and design, along with the Computer-aided engineering (CAE) collaboration between BASF and Vuteq, helps optimize the gating strategy via a complex sequential valve gate manifold and establishes optimal injection molding process parameters that significantly improves part performance.

“The success of a world-first adoption, especially in a complex project involving multiple stakeholders, heavily relies on effective partnerships and collaboration,” said Ankur Bhosale, Senior Principal Engineer, Performance Materials, BASF Corporation. “By focusing on these elements, the partnership can thrive, leading to an on-time launch and fulfillment of all technical requirements, and cost targets. This collaborative approach not only benefits the immediate project but also lays the groundwork for future endeavors, fostering trust and cooperation among partners.”  

Ultramid is a registered trademark of BASF SE

Tacoma is a trademark of Toyota

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $20.5 billion in 2023. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €68.9 billion in 2023. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.