Materials

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

Video: AHSS structures save lives, pose challenges to first responders Ron Moore, retired Division Chief of the McKinney (TX) Fire Department, has literally written the book on extrication involving vehicles with advanced high-strength steel structures, and he shared some of the challenges of this practice at the Great Designs in Steel seminar in Livonia, MI. Read full story

ContiTech air springs with plastic piston save weight, increase ride comfort The supplier claims that up to 75% of the weight of conventional steel pistons is saved thanks to the use of plastic and a new simulation method. The end result is a potential weight reduction of up to 12 kg (27 lb) per axle. Read full story

Nano-based lubricant from Millers Oils: potential fuel saver on track and road The U.K. specialist's Nanodrive low-friction synthetic lubricants containing nanoparticles could make the crossover from track to road car applications with fuel-saving potential. Read full story

Galvanic corrosion modeling for aircraft environments Galvanic corrosion in aircraft is important as it occurs whenever dissimilar metals or certain types of composites are joined or are located close to each other. SICOM, a recent project involving Airbus, EADS, BEASY, and a number of research centers, investigated how the “find it and fix it” approach can be replaced by a more fundamental approach based on computer modeling. Read full story

Drastic lightweighting on the agenda Upcoming fuel economy and emissions regulations around the world, notably in the U.S. and Europe, are forcing OEMs to think drastically about vehicle efficiency. Read full story

Audi tackles 'huge challenge' of lightweighting the A3 Dr. Olaf Köhler, Head of Audi Lightweight Design, said of the new A3: “At Audi, reducing weight is a mindset and a core competence. We look at every gram, and the new car is 80 kg lighter than its predecessor. It was a huge challenge.” The company gave AEI access to its design and quality development inner sanctum (usually a no-go area for the media) at Ingolstadt to reveal what the company is doing to reach its new compact car targets. Read full story

Noise-damping lubricants control NVH, improve perceived vehicle quality Less noise and more smoothness are important design attributes for operators of most every type of vehicle, including passenger vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, and off-road equipment. Synthetic noise-damping lubricants such as the Molykote brand solutions from Dow Corning can be economical, long-lasting answers to achieve these attributes in powertrain, body, chassis, and interior applications. Read full story