Manufacturing

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

Calculating the cost of 'going green' What are the costs of competing powertrain technologies, and how should engineers manage them to satisfy market and regulatory expectations—and make a profit? A value-engineering expert from FEV explains. Read full story

Cleanliness is critical in fluid circuit components The evolving nature of the industry has resulted in strict standards concerning cleanliness in the fluid circuit and most other components of road vehicles such as brake systems, fuel injector nozzles, power steering pumps, and fluid hoses. Read full story

Developing steel cord reinforcement for injection molded parts BASF, Voestalpine, and Bekaert are working together to develop steel-cord-reinforced injection molded parts that the companies believe will make a significant contribution to vehicle safety. Read full story

Marsilli advances ‘open poles’ motor winding for hybrids According to Marsilli, a winding systems manufacturer based in Italy and an exhibitor at this year’s SAE World Congress, brushless motor design is facing a “revolution phase” as traditional needle-wound or field-coil motors have reached their maximum efficiency, being limited by the fill factor. Marsilli is advancing the open-poles motor winding concept to assist motor manufacturers in increasing motor performances and reducing material costs. Read full story

Laser R&D at German university helps carbon fiber make the cut University of Stuttgart Institute researches new processes for laser cutting of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs). Read full story