Travel in style with a protective polycarbonate suitcase

Bayer MaterialScience has teamed up with a travel goods manufacturer to develop a special plastic for suitacases that is said to be particularly lightweight, secure and scratch resistant.

In collaboration with Andiamo Luggage, Bayer has developed an extrudable polycarbonate grade to “help keep suitcases looking good even after extensive travel.” Makrolon ET MS240 is said to offer significantly better surface protection, making it the ideal material for the American-based Andiamo’s Pantera Collection.

"Bayer’s material innovations and on-site technical support were a tremendous advantage during the development of the scratch-resistant polycarbonate shell of the new Andiamo collection," said Scott Kosmin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Andiamo Luggage.

"The new Makrolon grade is a scratch-resistant resin that can be formed into a suitcase shell in a single-step process," said Godwin Suen, a Bayer expert for the production of travel articles. "By broadening our portfolio and introducing a product with up to four times the pencil hardness to the market, we have significantly widened the range of options available to suitcase manufacturers."

In addition to the scratch resistance, Makrolon polycarbonate offers a number of advantages that can also benefit holidaymakers this summer, says Bayer: The strong and durable plastic shell is much lighter than those of suitcases made of aluminum or other materials and offers reliable protection for the traveller’s belongings. Furthermore, the plastic can be coloured in a variety of shades and shaped “virtually at will” in order to satisfy individual customer wishes.

The suitcases are said to be so durable that Andiamo Luggage is offering a ten-year warranty on the items, expected to launch this month.