People

A higher quality of life

The distinguishing characteristics of Benecke-Kaliko materials are their very healthful quality. They are free of so-called CMR materials, which can be carcinogenic, mutate genetic material or impair reproduction. What’s more, Benecke-Kaliko materials already have a renewable raw material content of more than 20 percent.

In the future, standard PVC materials will be manufactured with a renewable raw material content even exceeding 50 percent. In the interest of reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions, Benecke-Kaliko assigns top priority to the development of light materials.

Material that caresses your skin

Measuring about 2 m2 in surface area, skin is our largest as well as a highly sensitive and important organ, and one that is exposed to a host of environmental effects. It is a genuine multi-talent: As a protective shield warding off germs and insulating the body from high and low temperatures, as a receptive organ for medication and hormones, as an excretory organ for toxic substances or as a reservoir for nutrients and water and as a sensory organ, the skin is truly a high-performer. The body’s exterior covering is, however, constantly exposed to environmental influences and strains. Protecting the skin is thus especially important.

Interiors that allow you to breathe freely

To ensure our well-being and make sure skin is not hindered in its job of protecting our bodies, developers at Benecke-Kaliko have done research and testing and produced appropriate surface materials. Regardless of the duration or extent of skin contact, contact-allergen-free materials from Benecke-Kaliko safeguard our body’s protective coating, thereby guaranteeing all vehicle occupants greater riding pleasure.

The focus is on the quality of life!

And what does us good is also good for the environment overall. Air pollution in vehicle interiors can also be a cause of discomfort or even allergies. Streaming eyes, sneezing, cracked hands, eczema or skin rashes are symptoms often triggered by factors in closed areas in which we spend much of our time. Vehicle interiors are often at fault. More and more people are, after all, spending an increasing amount of time in their cars. The working population spends an average of 90 minutes in their vehicles.

A vehicle’s interior air quality is thus of increasing importance. Seat covers, door moldings, the instrument panel, the steering wheel and the gearshift can all give off allergenic substances, such as plasticizer fumes. Allergies can crop up even among people not previously susceptible to such ailments. This effect is intensified in summer, when perspiration abets the transfer of toxic substances to the skin.

That typical new car smell isn’t necessarily a good sign, either. It is often an indication that the seat covers, foot mats or armrests are emitting substances that irritate mucous membranes and cause illness, nausea, headaches and tiredness – leading to an increased risk of accidents on the road. Because they close their eyes when sneezing, people with allergies are, in fact, up to 30 percent more likely to be involved in a traffic accident.

To counter this, Benecke-Kaliko has been developing health-friendly, contact-allergen-free interior materials for a long time now. These materials ensure that even long journeys with closed windows will not provoke allergic reactions. Using new material methods, developers have managed to minimize known fogging effects from new surface materials.