Effective Jan. 1, 2013, new parts submitted for CAPA Certification will have to comply with specific requirements to identify the type of plastic used to make the parts.
The following standards have been updated to include part making requirements for the plastic material or blend standard symbol:
- CAPA 201 Plastic Standard, which covers bumper covers, grilles, fenders and other exterior plastic parts
- CAPA 301 Lighting Standard, which includes headlamps and taillamps
- CAPA 501 Bumper Parts Standard, which includes energy absorbers
The CAPA Technical Committee approved this new requirement in order to ensure that CAPA Certified parts reflect the industry’s need for uniform identification of plastic components. According to CAPA, 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."
An "Exploding Bumper" video demonstrates that plastic parts can be marked as the same material, but not necessarily be truly made of the same material.
"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 (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."
More information:
To watch CAPA’s "Exploding Bumper" video, click here and select the "Watch the Video" link.
