Automotive

Automotive suppliers are well positioned to meet the demand for 2013 vehicle production volumes, assuming those volumes remain constant from 2012. That’s the tone set by the latest Automotive Supplier Barometer from the Original Equipment Suppliers Association released last week. The March OESA Automotive Supplier Barometer Sentiment Index remained steady at 55, and shifts in sentiment within revenue bands offset one another, resulting in little change to the overall optimism as compared to January.

Weight reduction and lean manufacturing are key focuses in the aerospace sector as designers seek to the reduce operating costs of their aircraft. Consequently, thermoplastic composites that can perform with at least the same assurance as traditional metals and thermosets are in demand.

Korea and food waste: what do these seemingly disparate topics have in common; some outstanding coverage on their relation to plastics that appeared on the site last week. Before I get into what folks were clicking on this week, I'd like to steer our readers to these articles by Heather Caliendo and Stephen Moore, our respective packaging and automotive channel editors.

Lightweighting, high-performance underhood components, and structural and impact-resistance applications are among the trends in the automotive sector that have prompted a Japanese-invested compounder in Michigan to implement a multimillion dollar investment in new capacity.

Mannheim, Germany—At the annual international plastics conference “Plastics in Automotive Engineering 2013”, hosted by the Association of German Engineers, the ongoing themes in the auto industry—weight reduction, environmental requirements, cost reductions—were all much in evidence, often in combination with one another. At the same time, various exhibitors were also highlighting the role of aesthetics in design and choice of materials, and how this can affect the perception of product quality.

Seoul—Energy savings continue to be high on the agenda at Korean injection machine OEMs as evidenced by offerings on show at the recent Koplas show in Seoul. Conceding the all-electric market to Japanese OEMs, the focus is on deployment of servo-powered hydraulic pumps to realize these energy reductions. The LGH850MEIII from LS Mtron Ltd. (Anyang, Korea) on display at the recent Koplas show in Seoul as one such example. Supplier LS says the machine employs two servo-piston pumps that generate an energy conserving effect of up to 45%.

Seoul—The automotive sector was top on the agenda for Korea's injection molding machine suppliers as evidenced by offerings on display at the Koplas show held recently in Seoul, South Korea.

Austrian machine builder Engel sold injection machinery valued at a combined €125 million in Asia in the fiscal year 2011/2012 ending March 30, thus claiming an overall 10% share of the regional market.

New capacity for PVC slush-molding powders installed in Poland and China by compounder PolyOne (Cleveland, OH) targets long-term growth forecast for automobile industries in these countries. Despite increasing restrictions on car ownership, Chinese passenger and commercial vehicle production grew by 4.6% to 19,271,808 vehicles in 2012 according to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), although Polish production plummetted by 22.7% to 647,803 unit due to the Eurozone Crisis.

Hollow parts requiring ultra-smooth inner surfaces can be injection-molded using water-injection technology. In a boost to the process, BASF (Leverkusen, Germany) is expanding its line-up of polyamide (PA) grades that have been optimized for the use of water-injection technology (WIT) in injection molding.