Today’s car drivers have come to expect their vehicles to run athletically, safely and smoothly on the road. The automotive industry and its customers owe this to products like Cellasto, a spring aid created in 1961 by engineers of Elastogran GmbH in Lemförde – today part of BASF’s Polyurethanes division. For 50 years now, under the Cellasto brand name, BASF has been manufacturing and selling polyurethane finished parts and springs of all kinds that are employed in those areas where other materials such as rubber and steel reach their limits. Today, nine out of ten car makers rely on this unique product. Take chassis and suspension technology, for instance: Spring and damping components made of Cellasto are volume-compressible, durable and environmentally compatible, and absorb harshness, vibrations and noise – and in doing so give the driver a pleasantly smooth ride on the road.
From the beginning of Cellasto series production in 1964, demand for this flexible product increased steadily due to the growth of the automotive industry as the main customer. In the Seventies, production was truly automated for the first time, while the Eighties for Cellasto were marked by the development of new fields of application and markets and the expansion of exports. This was followed by numerous innovations and further customer-oriented development into a partner to the automotive industry.
To do justice to the different makes, models and requirements, BASF engineers work closely from the outset with the experts of the various vehicle manufacturers in the development of new models. Six production locations worldwide in North and South America, Asia and
For our long-term success, it is of decisive importance that we produce locally and supply our customers in their regions quickly and reliably,” says Wayne T. Smith, President BASF Polyurethanes. “The successful expansion of Cellasto business depends above all on our global key account management. BASF can thus offer its customers solutions worldwide – an unbeatable advantage, because they not only reduce their development outlay, but also have just a single, reliable global supplier.”
BASF is proud of a product that unites tradition and innovation. “It’s no accident that we’re the industry’s technology and market leader in this segment,” says Smith. “The quality of Cellasto spring components has already been confirmed by numerous commendations such as the Q1 Award from Ford.”