Creating clever things with plastics: the auto industry and its suppliers are coming up with some clever ways to do everything from saving gasoline to providing pedestrian protection with plastics. Here are the category winners in the SPE Automotive Div.'s annual plastics awards.The proliferation of innovative uses for plastics is something that isn't always evident, at least for people who don't take into account all of the various applications that are found. One group of people who do is the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers [http://www.4spe.org/communities/divisions/d31.php], which holds an annual competition for the best-of-the-best in the world of automotive plastics use. This year, the group judged entries in the categories of Body Interior, Body Exterior, Materials, Safety, Environmental, Chassis/Hardware, Powertrain, Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies, and Performance & Customization. The companies assembled--OEMs, suppliers (component, material, tooling)--are literally from the Global Who's Who Who’s Who biographical dictionary of notable living people. [Am. Hist.: Hart, 922] See : Fame of companies, and their work represents what is certainly the state-of-the-technology, if not the state-of-the-art. Here is a look at those developments that won in their category. The empanelled judges were asked to consider aspects from value, price, performance, impact, to innovation, just to name some of the key factors. Making the selections weren't easy--as full disclosure requires that I note that I was one of the judges. As the grand prize winner isn't being announced until after this issue goes into production, we'll let you know what took top honors in the next issue. [BODY INTERIOR] * WINNER HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) In the home or small office with a handful of computers, HVAC is more for human comfort than the machines. In large datacenters, a humidity-free room with a steady, cool temperature is essential for the trouble-free Film valve developed for the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix The Pontiac Grand Prix is an automobile produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. First introduced as part of Pontiac's full-size model offering for the 1962 model year, the Grand Prix name has also been applied to cars in the personal luxury car market segment and the . * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier: Delphi Corp. Material processor: Macauto Industrial Co. Material supplier: Saint-Gobain PPL PPL - Polymorphic Programming Language. An interactive, extensible language, based on APL, from Harvard University. ["Some Features of PPL - A Polymorphic Programming Language", T.A. Standish, SIGPLAN Notices 4(8) (Aug 1969)]. . Tooling supplier: Macauto Industrial. * MATERIAL PTFE/fiberglass/silicone. * DISCUSSION In typical HVAC systems, there is a series of injection-molded valves that are used to meter the amount of hot or cold air that's being emitted into the cabin. This tends to result in a sizable plastic assembly. As package space is becoming increasingly important in vehicles, this development is remarkable. What they've done is create a film made of the aforementioned materials. There are areas cut out of this film through which air can flow. The film is held between two spring-loaded spooling (Simultaneous Peripheral Operations OnLine) The overlapping of low-speed operations with normal processing. Spooling originated with mainframes in order to optimize slow operations such as reading cards and printing. devices: think, in effect, of a roller window shade, but in this case there are two rollers so that the film is held in tension. As the amount of airflow is adjusted by the driver, the film moves on the rollers so that the apertures are positioned as required. One of the benefits of this system is that it permits 13 different settings versus a conventional unit. Because the material is under tension, there aren't the rattle problems that can occur with the plastic paddles ordinarily used. And given the smaller size, it is estimated that there is as much as a 30% weight savings. If it is compared apples to apples with the previous system, then the cost is equal. If the additional settings (and the other benefits) are taken into account, the cost savings can be as much as 15%. [BODY EXTERIOR] * WINNER Composite in-bed trunk for the 2006 Honda Ridgeline The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size crossover vehicle produced by the Japanese automaker Honda. The Ridgeline is Honda's intended first foray into the North American pickup truck market. . * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier and material processor: Meridian Automotive Systems See ITS, embedded system, drive-by-wire, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance system, autonomous vehicle, heads-up display, DSRC, lane departure system, CAN bus, FlexRay and SYNC. . Material suppliers: Ashland Chemical; Saint-Gobain Vetrotex; Rohm & Haas; Meridian Automotive Systems. Tooling suppliers: Century Tool & Gage and Global Tooling Systems. * MATERIAL SMC SMC Saint Mary's College SMC Santa Monica College SMC Solaris Management Console SMC Smooth Muscle Cell SMC Small Magellanic Cloud (also see LMC) SMC Safety Management Certificate (maritime shipping) . * DISCUSSION Everyone--including Honda--knew that the world really didn't need another pickup truck. So the Honda designers and engineers set about figuring out the ways and means WAYS AND MEANS. In legislative assemblies there is usually appointed a committee whose duties are to inquire into, and propose to the house, the ways and means to be adopted to raise funds for the use of the government. This body is called the committee of ways and means. to create special features for the Ridgeline ridge·line n. See ridge. Noun 1. ridgeline - a long narrow range of hills ridge arete - a sharp narrow ridge found in rugged mountains pickup, one of which is the lockable in-bed trunk. This trunk, which fits between the boxed frame rails, has a storage area of 8.5-[ft.sup.3]. The bed itself is made of high-strength SMC (with steel cross members). So, too, is the trunk. The trunk is an assembly of compression-molded panels, hardware (hinges, fasteners, etc.) and steel reinforcements. The assembly is adhesively bonded. Apparently, steel was considered, but then it was determined that there would be in excess of 100 parts required. This has 10. Based on the typical weight savings of SMC versus steel, the mass is reduced by from 20 to 40%. Tooling costs are about half that of steel. The trunk not only can handle a 72-quart cooler, but can actually be filled with ice and used as a cooler, as it has a drain plug. [MATERIALS] * WINNER Molded-in-color reactor TPO (Twisted Pair Only) Refers to the use of twisted pair wire when other options are available. For example, a TPO suffix at the end of 3com Ethernet adapter model numbers indicates the card has only an RJ45 connector. for side airbag covers for the 2006 Buick Lucerne The Buick Lucerne is a full-size car sold by the Buick division of General Motors that replaced the Park Avenue and the LeSabre in 2006. Although the rear-wheel drive GM Zeta platform . * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier: Autoliv. Material processor: Key Plastics. Material supplier: Basell Polyolefins. Tooling supplier: Key Plastics. * MATERIAL A thermoplastic olefin (TPO), Hostacom CA199P. * DISCUSSION The interesting development here is related to the fact that the material used for the airbag cover is an alloy, not a blend. Consequently, they're able to create a TPO with a high rubber content, which is certainly valuable in an airbag-release situation. In addition to which, because this is a molded-in color material, the need for painting is eliminated, which has benefits not only related to cost, but environmental, as well. One of the concerns is with the impact resistance of materials at low temperatures for auto interior applications; this material proved able to handle the demands at -35[degrees]C (as well as deal with heat at +85[degrees]C). Estimated weight savings compared with other materials in this application is estimated to be 20% or more. Direct cost savings is on the order of 45 to 65%. [SAFETY] * WINNER Pedestrian-protection energy absorber for the 2005 Suzuki Swift. * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier, material processor, and tooling supplier: Takagi Seiko. * MATERIAL SUPPLIER GE Advanced Materials. * MATERIAL Xenoy 1102 PC/PBT (polycarbonate/polybutylene terphthalate). * DISCUSSION The issue was to develop the wherewithal to meet the European Union's Phase 1 lower-leg pedestrian-protection requirements. This is a unit that had to fit within a 45-mm packaging space behind the front fascia fascia (făsh`ēə), fibrous tissue network located between the skin and the underlying structure of muscle and bone. Fascia is composed of two layers, a superficial layer and a deep layer. . They designed an injection-molded plastic crush box that deforms in response to an impact. Previous approaches have involved using an expanded polypropylene foam and steel structure; this approach usually requires at least twice as much space (100 mm or more). What's more, the crush box design provides a weight savings of 0.7 kg. [ENVIRONMENTAL] * WINNER Spare wheel cover In the UK a spare wheel cover is a 4x4 accessory covering the rear mounted spare wheel on 4x4 vehicles, these are often printed with a dealers name or something more fun such as the infamous two rhinos on the Suzuki Jeeps in the late 1980s made famous by Fred Cutler Manufacturing. with Abaca fiber reinforcement for the 2005 Mercedes A-Class. * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier and material processor: Rieter Automotive. Material supplier: Manila Cordage cordage (kôr`dĭj), collective name for rope and other flexible lines. It is used for such purposes as wrapping, hauling, lifting, and power transmission. Early man used strips of hide, animal hair, and plant materials. (for the fiber). * MATERIAL Abaca fibers and polypropylene. * DISCUSSION Essentially, this is an application that is using a fiber that is grown in place of one that is manufactured: Abaca rather than glass. Fundamentally, the component is produced in a compression molding process just as had been the case when glass fibers were used for reinforcement. The fiber provides a weight advantage (7% lighter) as well as a cost savings (3 to 5%). In addition to which, the energy used to create the fibers (it starts with a plant, then the cords are removed, the material is dried, then rovings are produced) requires 60% less energy than glass. [CHASSIS/HARDWARE] * WINNER All-plastic window regulator for the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a typically American "retro"-styled station wagon or hatchback built by Chrysler, launched in 2000 as the entry-level Chrysler. The PT Cruiser was on Car and Driver's . * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier: DURA Automotive. Material processor and tooling supplier: Titan Plastics. Material supplier: Michael Day Enterprises. * MATERIAL Gearcomp 6001 PA 6/6. * DISCUSSION Traditionally, powered window lift systems are based on, primarily, a steel assembly, consisting of such things as stamped or roll-formed rails, stamped gliders, and braided braid·ed adj. 1. a. Produced by or as if by braiding. b. Having braids. 2. Decorated with braid. 3. cables. In all, there are 21 parts in a typical system. But this system--called Racklift--is based primarily on injection-molded 30% glass-filled nylon 6/6 components (e.g., rack, housing, gearing) and it consists of 13 parts. While the steel assembly requires five attachments, this requires two. The system is lighter--as much as 46%. And an interesting performance aspect is that the nylon gears don't require grease for lubrication lubrication, introduction of a substance between the contact surfaces of moving parts to reduce friction and to dissipate heat. A lubricant may be oil, grease, graphite, or any substance—gas, liquid, semisolid, or solid—that permits free action of , so assembly plant operations can be tidier. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [POWERTRAIN] * WINNER Water jacket spacer for the 2003 Toyota Crown. * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier: Aisan Industry. Material processor and tooling supplier: Uchiyama Manufacturing. Material supplier: DuPont K.K. * MATERIAL Zytel HTN HTN Hypertension HTN High Blood Pressure HTN Hierarchical Task Network HTN Hughes Television Network HTN Hospitality Training Network (Sydney, Australia) HTN Histotechnology (program of study) 51G35HSL (Hue Saturation Luminosity) A color space similar to HSB. See HSB. PPA PPA 1. Palpation, Percussion & Ausculation 2. Pittsburgh pneumonia agent 3. Postpartum amenorrhea 4. Price per accession 5. Pure pulmonary atresia . * DISCUSSION Can an injection-molded part that weighs just 220 grams improve the fuel economy of an engine such that the savings are equal to reducing the weight of the vehicle by 25 kg? Apparently that's the case on the engine developed for the Toyota Crown and used in the '06 Lexus GS 300. The V6 engine has an aluminum block and head. The function of a water jacket in an engine is to help maintain a better temperature distribution in the cylinder bore. What they've determined is that by inserting the spacer into the jacket casting (the engine has an open-deck configuration so it is easy to insert) they are able to tailor the heat transfer, which improves cooling; that is the factor that improves the fuel economy (in addition to helping extend the engine life). The part is 326-mm long, 120-mm wide, 85-mm high, and has a minimum wall thickness of 1.5 mm. The cost is about $3.50 per spacer; two are needed per engine. Given the cost of gasoline (premium unleaded is recommended for this engine), the payback can occur rather rapidly. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [PROCESS/ASSEMBLY/ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES] * WINNER Bonded hybrid metal-plastic front-end carrier for the 2005 Volkswagen Polo. * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier, material processor, and tooling supplier: Simoldes. Material supplier: Dow Automotive. * MATERIAL Inspire DLGF DLGF Department of Local Government Finance (Indiana) 9310.00ZB and Betamate LESAadhesive. * DISCUSSION Not all award-winning parts are plastic-only. This one attaches an e-coated steel part to an injection-molded long-glass fiber polypropylene composite. The key factor to making this happen is the development of the two-component acrylic adhesive, the Betamate LESA LESA Land Evaluation and Site Assessment LESA Least Sandpiper (bird species Calidris minutilla) LESA Law Enforcement Support Agency (911 dispatch center) LESA Livingston Educational Service Agency . It is formulated to directly bond to PP without any pretreatments, which simplifies processing. This adhesive is proven to be strong, as well, as the failure mode is substrate failure of the plastic material rather than the area bonded. It cures at room temperature. The component as designed is 25% lighter than the alternative carrier design and provides a system cost saving in excess of 10%. [PERFORMANCE & CUSTOMIZATION] * WINNER Cargo management system for the 2005 Ford Escape. * COMPANIES INVOLVED System supplier: Lear Corp. Material processor: SCA (Single Connector Attachment) An 80-pin plug and socket used to connect peripherals. With a SCSI drive, it rolls three cables (power, data channel and ID configuration) into one connector for fast installation and removal. Packaging North America. Material supplier: JSP (JavaServer Page) An extension to the Java servlet technology from Sun that allows HTML to be combined with Java on the same page. The Java provides the processing, and the HTML provides the layout on the Web page. International. Tooling supplier: Lear Corp. and SCA Packaging North America. * MATERIAL Arpro expanded polypropylene (EPP (1) (Enhanced Parallel Port) See IEEE 1284. (2) (Ethernet Packet Processor) A chip from Kalpana, Inc., Santa Clara, CA that doubles speed of Ethernet transmission to 20Mbits/sec. In 1994, Kalpana was acquired by Cisco. ). * DISCUSSION When the Ford Escape's spare tire was located beneath the vehicle, this opened up an opportunity to put a container in the vacated space. Which led to the development of this system, which uses a molded EPP ring that forms a support structure around the opening in the load floor onto which a blow-molded lid assembly with molded-in color is attached. Then there's a deep-draw thermoformed carpeted tub assembly. An alternative approach would be to create the system out of laminated fiberboard fi·ber·board n. A building material composed of wood chips or plant fibers bonded together and compressed into rigid sheets. Noun 1. . That was estimated to require two tools, seven processes, and approximately five people. The blow molding approach, alternatively, requires one tool, four processes, and two people. In addition to which it is some six pounds lighter than the alternative. By Gary S. Vasilash, Editor-In-Chief |
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