Inventive automotive apps honored

More than a few firsts dominated the 2006 SPE award winners, many of which were found on Chrysler vehicles.

If you read IMM regularly, you know that the “Most Innovative Use of Plastics” competition, held by the Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Div. (Troy, MI), is an annual event that many in Detroit view as the top prize in their field. Here are a few things you may not know about the vaunted program:

• Funds raised from awards night festivities are used to support SPE educational efforts and technical seminars, helping to secure the role of plastics in the advancement of the automobile.• According to SPE, it is the largest competition of its kind in the world.

• The annual event draws more than 800 OEM engineers, automotive and plastics industry executives, and media members.

Awards for 2007 model year vehicles were bestowed in Livonia, MI on Nov. 13. The packed audience included Lifetime Achievement Award winner Barbara Sanders of Delphi and Jim McCaslin, president and COO of Harley-Davidson, the SPE Executive Leadership Award winner.

Following are the applications that a panel of Blue Ribbon judges deemed most worthy of the Innovation awards. We’ve included winners from all processing categories, noting that some blowmolded applications are beginning to edge out traditional IM. However, one of the firsts involves an inline-compounded duct, and makes a case for the continued prevalence of IM in automotive.

Grand Award winner and Body Exterior winner
2007 Chrysler Group Jeep Wrangler SUV
• First Class A blowmolded, all-plastic bumper that combined fascia and beam.
• Replaced traditional steel application to reduce costs by 12% (direct), 11% (quality), and 13% (assembly); 9% weight reduction.• Meets domestic impact performance and European safety requirements.
System supplier/Processor: ABC Group Inc.
Material supplier: Salflex Polymers (ABC Group)
Resin: Salflex 610 MW - RXF TPO
Tooling: Supreme Tooling (ABC Group)

Body Interior winner
2007 Chrysler Group Dodge Nitro SUV
• First application of inline compounding/injection molding for a two-piece, vibration-welded instrument panel structural-duct assembly.
• TPO retainer is subsequently welded to the structural duct, which has a Class A finish.
• Overall assembly cost savings using PP vs. PC/ABS of approximately 15%.
System supplier/Processor: Intertec Systems
Material supplier: Basell Polyolefins
Resin: Profax SG853 polypropylene
Tooling: Phillips Tool & Mould Ltd.

Environmental winner
2007 Honda Acura MDX SUV
• Uses a nonglass-fiber reinforcement, allowing complete disposal (incineration) of headliner by OEM vehicle recycler.
• Basalt-reinforced PP composite meets OEM’s disposal requirements without incinerator contamination issues.
System supplier/Processor: M-Tek Inc.
Material supplier: Azdel Inc.
Resin: VolcaLite basalt-reinforced PP composite
Tooling: not available

Chassis/Hardware winner
2007 Chrysler Group Dodge Nitro SUV
• First integrated, cable-driven, railless window regulator system for door modules.
• Integrates drum housing and utilizes industry-first, robotically extruded thermoplastic seal to form separation between wet and dry sides.
• Weight savings of 25%.
System supplier/Processor: Faurecia Interior Systems
Material suppliers: St. Gobain, ExxonMobil
Resin: Twintex commingled glass/polypropylene roving and polypropylene
Tooling: Omega

Materials winner
2007 Chrysler Group Dodge Ram pickup
• First thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) body-mounted primary seal used in a complete dynamic-sealing application.
• Material is EPDM-sponge equivalent that enables transition from thermoset rubber to thermoplastic elastomer.
• Estimated cost savings of 20%.
System supplier/Processor/Material supplier/Tooling: Jyco
Resin: JyFlex TPV

Powertrain winner
2007 Chrysler Group Dodge Nitro SUV
• Turbo whine and blade-pass noise are no longer audible inside or outside the vehicle due to this first-ever combination resonator mounted on the pressure side of the turbocharger.
• Inline-mounted, single-housing resonator provides wideband frequency attenuation.
• Design saves about 60% in mass and materials vs. alternate methods of quieting turbocharged vehicles.
System supplier: Woco MAS USA Inc.
Processor: Novoplas
Material supplier: DuPont Automotive
Resin: Zytel 70G33 33% glass-filled PA 66
Tooling: Novoplas

Safety winner
2007 Audi TT roadster
• Meets strict European safety legislation, including ECE 17 luggage retention, and other globally mandated requirements.
• Replaced metal for a significant weight savings of almost 2.3 kg (5 lb) per vehicle and cost savings of $4 per vehicle.
System supplier: Lear Corp.
Processor: Moellertech GmbH
Material supplier: Dow Automotive
Resin: Pulse 2200 BG PC/ABS
Tooling: not available

Performance & Customization winner
2007 General Motors GMT800 pickups
• Rear center sliding window assembly adds pleasing aesthetic appearance for pickups due to flush-mounted, concealed window opening.
• Patent-pending molded bulb seal provides leak-resistant barrier and leakproof water management system.
System supplier/Processor: Guardian Automotive Products
Material supplier: DuPont Automotive
Resin: Rynite 530 BK503 PET
Tooling: not available

Hall of Fame winner
1966 General Motors Pontiac Bonneville, Catalina, and Tempest
• First thermoplastic parts used on the exterior of automobiles.
• All vehicles today have plastic grilles.
• Saved 6.4-8.2 kg (14-18 lb) per vehicle.
• Actual part mass was 1.8 kg (4 lb).
Key team members from original launch: Duane Miller (Pontiac Design Engineering), Josh Madden (Pontiac Materials Engineering), Bob Carroll (GM-Ternstedt), and Len Becker and Fred Garnham (Perfect Mold). Management support at GM came from Pete Estes, John DeLorean, Herman Kaiser, and Ken Valentine.
System suppliers/Processors: Millington Plastics Co.
(Upper Sandusky, OH) and GM Ternstedt Div. (Syracuse, NY)
Material supplier: Marbon Chemical Div. of BorgWarner (subsequently sold to GE–Plastics)
Resin: Cycolac H painted ABS
Tooling: Perfect Mold (later The Becker Group) and GM Ternstedt

Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies winner
2007 Chrysler Group Dodge Caliber SUV
• Combines a structural substrate (PP) and a soft-feel outer surface (SEBS elastomer) in single high-pressure molding operation.
• Creative surface designs can intermix different colors, haptics, thicknesses, and textures to produce a more cost-effective part while providing the perception of a more expensive component.• Cost savings of 10-20% and weight savings of 15%.
System supplier/Processor: Lear Corp. (Greencastle, IN)
Material supplier: Kraiburg
Resin: Thermolast K HTP8679/33 polypropylene and SEBS (TPE-S) elastomer
Tooling: Hi-Tech