Materials

GM tools up for high-volume aluminum structures with new welding technology The process centers on a new electrode-tip design. It will enable GM’s global body shops to spot-weld virtually any combination of aluminum sheet, extrusions, and castings at higher production rates than are currently used in automotive aluminum-structures manufacturing. Read full story

Rethinking lead-acid for mild- and micro-hybrids After years in lithium-ion battery development—and fed up over material costs that remain punishingly high—Subash Dhar decided the original automotive battery chemistry still has big potential for hybrid vehicles. Read full story

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