Material guidance for TPU, polyurethane, engineering plastics, and elastomer programs Talk with a materials advisor
Design Gallery

Material inspiration for parts that must look right, process well, and pass review

The design gallery helps teams move from a visual idea to a material conversation. A soft-touch grip, flexible film, transparent housing, rubber seal, foam insert, or recycled-content package can all look straightforward in a rendering, yet each option carries processing, performance, documentation, and supply implications. Basf uses this page to connect design intent with the questions that should be answered before samples are requested. It is especially useful for product managers and designers who need to speak with engineering, procurement, and quality teams without losing the original user experience goal.

Performance matrix

Translate design language into material screening factors

Design intent
Material questions
Typical product families
Soft flexible touch
Hardness, abrasion, skin contact, overmolding, color stability
TPU, polyurethane elastomer, silicone rubber
Clear durable housing
Impact, UV, chemical cleaning, scratch resistance, molding shrinkage
Polycarbonate, acrylic, engineering plastics
Sealed industrial interface
Compression set, oil exposure, temperature, groove design, assembly force
NBR, EPDM, FKM, polyurethane sheet
Lightweight package
Barrier, seal window, stiffness, recyclability, print adhesion
PET film, PE film, plastic container systems
Design-to-sample path

A smoother route from concept to first material trial

01

Define the experience

Clarify the desired feel, appearance, transparency, flexibility, noise level, or packaging shelf presence before asking for grades.

02

Map use conditions

Capture heat, chemicals, movement, cleaning, UV, food contact, skin contact, or load exposure that may constrain material families.

03

Check production route

Review whether the concept will be injection molded, extruded, laminated, thermoformed, cast, die-cut, or assembled with adhesives.

04

Request evidence

Ask for datasheets, SDS, regulatory notes, sample plaques, and any comparable case guidance before finalizing the design direction.

Design inspiration becomes valuable when it prevents late redesign. A product team may love a translucent housing until chemical cleaning or drop impact changes the resin choice. A packaging team may want a softer film until seal range and recycling claims force a different structure. A seal profile may appear simple until compression set and assembly force make the geometry difficult. Basf's gallery approach encourages teams to bring renderings, sketches, incumbent samples, target price bands, and customer requirements into the same discussion. The result is a richer material brief that protects both design intent and production feasibility.