Materials

Schaeffler tandem bearings reduce drag torque, increase fuel economy up to 1.5% New tandem ball bearings from Schaeffler Group are said to have about half the friction of traditional tapered roller bearings, which allows tandems to run with higher overall efficiency and lower operating temperatures. Schaeffler selected Stanyl from DSM Engineering Plastics for the advanced bearing application. Read full story

Higher-volume vehicle gets carbon-fiber body panels produced in less time A new processing technology for carbon-fiber body panels at Plasan Carbon Composites will mark its production debut on a future vehicle with a yearly volume of as much as 50,000 units. Read full story

New IP process helps U.S. take lead global role for Honda manufacturing In-plant process starts at Marysville, OH, on 2013 Accord. Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. assumes responsibility for manufacturing procedures for all Honda vehicle production worldwide, as North America becomes top Honda production location. Read full story

Honda's 2014 plug-in hybrid Accord has three drive modes Forthcoming model has 10-15 mi (16-24 km) range on battery pack, and it also operates in hybrid mode and direct drive from engine through gearset into transaxle. Read full story

Choosing the right tube joint seal for HFO-1234yf refrigerant compatibility One of the many system components of concern to OEMs and aftermarket service providers is the elastomeric seals used at the different joints in automotive air-conditioning. One critical aspect of seal performance is permeation, and the material compatibility issues likely to arise in relation to it, due to the new refrigeration chemistry. Read full story

Lightweight sandwich structures for EV chassis Plastic foam-core/aluminum-skin sandwich components developed by Inrekor in collaboration with JSP cut the weight of a prototype EV chassis by 30%. Read full story

Materials lead the way to vehicle mass reduction Reducing a vehicle's mass opens the door for a downsized engine and transmission, a lighter cradle and body structure, smaller wheels and brakes, as well as a weight-slimmed suspension. The start point for this ripple effect is materials. Read full story

Oak Ridge collaborates for cheaper carbon fiber Lightweight vehicles of the future will require strong carbon-fiber composite structures, but low-cost fibers are needed for market viability. Overcoming the challenges to cheaper carbon fiber is exactly what a research team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is aiming to do at its new Carbon Fiber Technology Facility in Tennessee. Read full story

Chrysler switches to OAT antifreeze for longer service interval The change to OAT is across the board for 2013 and is accompanied by increasing coolant service interval to 10 years/150,000 mi (240,000 km). The formula is different from that used by parent Fiat. Read full story