CAPA adds requirements to ID materials used in plastic parts

Effective January 1, new parts submitted for Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) Certification will have to comply with requirements to identify the type of plastic used to make the part.

The CAPA 201 Plastic Standard, which covers bumper covers, grilles, fenders and other exterior plastic parts; CAPA 301 Lighting Standard, which includes headlamps and taillamps; and CAPA 501 Bumper Parts Standard, which includes energy absorbers, have all been updated to include part marking requirements for the plastic material or blend standard symbol.

The CAPA Technical Committee approved this new requirement to ensure that CAPA Certified parts reflect the industry’s need for uniform identification of plastic components, CAPA said. This will facilitate the proper selection of materials and procedures when repairing and painting plastic parts, as well as aid in the handling of parts for recycling.

“While the manufacturers of CAPA Certified parts have adopted a variety of part marking methods over the years, having a set of requirements, based upon SAE specifications, will further increase the value of CAPA Certified parts to the market,” said Jack Gillis, CAPA’s Executive Director. “Molded substrate information in a plastic aftermarket part is not uncommon. However, as CAPA has dramatically demonstrated to the public, whether or not that substrate marking is actually correct is another issue altogether. The 'exploding' non-CAPA Certified aftermarket energy absorber for the Ford Fusion was marked to indicate it was made of the same material as the Ford part (PC/PBT - Polycarbonate / Polybutylene Terephthalate) but it was actually made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). The result: A part that looked exactly like the car company brand part, but literally exploded on impact."

To see how important using the right plastic is watch CAPA’s “exploding bumper” video at www.capacertified.org and select the “watch the video” link.

“If the part is not CAPA Certified, it’s anybody’s guess if the plastic markings really indicate what the part is made of,” said Jack Gillis.

For more information, contact debbie@CAPAcertified .org.

For more information visit www.CAPAcertified.org.