11th SPE Automotive Division Award 2007

This award has been gaining increased public awareness over the past few years and is now considered as a significant accolade with global impact as far as the automotive industry is concerned. During the celebrations for the 11th Automotive Award Night the most innovative and creative achievements in the automotive industry and its supplier industries were acknowledged. ....read more!

Space for individuals
Concept car allows more room for storage and facilitates flexible usage

Johnson Controls presented a new interior for the fast-growing medium SUV segment. During development, the designers and engineers paid particular attention to the needs of the target groups: The demand for individuality and flexibility plus a harmonious interior ambience were particularly significant factors. New seating solutions giving a more spacious feel and allowing more room for storage are being introduced along with numerous electronic highlights. ....read more!

Standing high temperatures
Plastic bearings for the engine compartment

The international plastics developer and injection moulding company igus, based in Cologne/Germany, presented some new possibilities for substituting metal bearings at the IAA. The application spectrum for automotive bearing solutions extends from simple applications in seat systems right through to high-load thermal applications inside the engine compartment, for example in gear selector forks or in exhaust systems for modern diesel engines. ....read more!

Two continents – two cars
Sabic IP and GM presented Opel Flextreme and Chevrolet Volt

Sabic Innovative Plastics (formerly GE Plastics) celebrated the unveiling of the Opel Flextreme and Chevrolet Volt concepts, illustrating lightweight polymer material innovations that complement the E-Flex architecture and showcase energy-saving transparent window glazings and lightweight body panel technologies. ....read more!

The light side
Melting foams reduce risk in the event of car fires

As far as the flammability of substances and components used in passenger vehicles is concerned, there are strict requirements and test regulations in force. For a long time foams were regarded as a critical factor in relation to this point. Sekisui Alveo has launched a thermally stable polyolefin foam at the IAA which has been endorsed as “flame-retardant”. ....read more!

Two Solutions
Modular environment-friendly solutions for the front and rear end of vehicles

Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior is pursuing its modular strategy and offering new environment-friendly solutions in three fields: motorized rear doors, vehicle front ends and bumpers. While the tailgate market is progressing fast, with great demand from consumers for more convenience, motorized systems are being chosen increasingly frequently and are required to be as light as possible. With its dual expertise - thermoplastic for decorative parts and thermoset for semi-structural components - Plastic Omnium is asserting itself in this market and presenting two innovative solutions. ....read more!

Material Decision Support
Cost reduction and material data for safety parts

DSM Engineering Plastics will demonstrate how its portfolio of materials can lead to significant system cost reductions in comparison to high heat resins such as PPA, PPS, PEI and PEEK. Examples include Arnite XL for automotive lighting applications. Furthermore the company has collected extensive material data for various automotive safety parts. These include data on high-speed tensile tests and high-speed dynamic burst. Based on these validated data in combination with advanced integrated CAE simulation techniques, DSM is able to advise its customers on the most optimal design in combination with the best suited material grade. ....read more!

Vehicle of the month
Toyota Auris

The purpose of this section which we feature in every edition of our magazine is to present the results of design analysis of vehicles recently launched on the automobile market. This article was produced in collaboration with Mavel, a European leader in car design analysis. The aim of this article is not to present a detailed examination of a design (which is available in “Mavel’s report”) but rather to throw light on some noteworthy aspects. ....read more!

A fresh look at toolmaking
State-of-the-art machines for the automotive industry

Increasing technical complexity, shorter product life cycles and an increasing range of variations make up a significant proportion of the innovations now being demanded of toolmakers. Cost and time pressures, together with the requirement for high precision, have resulted in ever more efficient and ingenious mould solutions. Other issues that have prompted toolmakers to adopt ever more creative strategies include a significant trend towards demanding more variations on a part. Customers are making more post-design changes, whilst colour matching and pilot production runs are becoming commonplace. ....read more!

Plastics beef up auto bodywork

What customers are expecting from vehicles in the future is greater comfort, improved safety, lower fuel consumption, better drive dynamics, more individuality - and all this as far as possible without any price increases. Any reduction in vehicle weight means that fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and braking distance will also be reduced, whilst acceleration and vehicle payload are increased. Customer demands are reflected in the increasing number of niche models and small batches. ....read more!

Actively controllable air flaps for BMW 3 series

BMW introduces currently at the 3 series actively controllable air flaps, partner for development and production at the 1 and 3 series is Röchling Automotive. The adjustable jalousies behind the kidneys and the air inlet below the buffer bar reduce the drag coefficient by 10 % and thus fuel consumption by 1 % on the European driving cycle. ....read more!

No start without previous simulation
Simulation of structural car body inserts and on aged plastic

BASF has considerably expanded its CAE instrument of Integrative Simulation. Now the combination of metal, plastic and structural foam, in other words, a system made up of three different materials, can be computed in its entirety. In addition the technique is particularly well-suited to predict crash behaviour. It has recently also been utilized to configure crash-relevant and safety-relevant plastic components – such as oil pans. ....read more!

Full PP body
Smart pioneers first full PP body panels

Smart fortwo has become the first commercialised car to have full body panels manufactured from polypropylene (PP). Borealis has developed Daplen ED230HP, a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) compound, for this pioneering development to meet the cost-effective production targets and aesthetic, safety and environmental requirements of the latest Smart fortwo vehicle. ....read more!

The bigger the faster
Combined PUR/IM machine for interior trim element

Combining the SkinForm process with spin-platen technology makes it possible to coat a thermoplastic substrate with a polyurethane layer, which can vary in thickness and colour. The process is ideal for fully-automated mass production of assembly-ready parts without manual post-processing. ....read more!

Read more about several products for the automotive industry
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