Development of the Xterra ^® Luggage-rack System from Nissan with ASA/PC Weatherable Resin 2000-01-1068

The luggage-rack-system market has historically been dominated by nylon- (polyamide)-based resins. The recent design and development of the Xterra^® luggagerack system (LRS) from Nissan represents a new trend in luggage-rack system design. Nissan utilized an ASA/PC weatherable thermoplastic resin to develop its special gray, molded-in-color luggage-rack components. The balance of weathering performance and physical properties that ASA/PC resin offers allowed the automaker to design these structural components and avoid the high cost of paint. This paper discusses the design and development of the luggage-rack system as well as the process utilized to evaluate ASA/PC resin for performance in static loading, heat resistance, vibration performance, etc. Furthermore, the paper explores how ASA/PC resin parts might be designed in for future luggage-rack-system applications.