Magazines
The message at the core of a report conducted for Lanxess is that OEMs and tire companies need to combine R&D targets with specialized synthetic rubber manufacturers. Improved grades such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) will be central to plans for lower-rolling-resistance tires moving forward.
Daimler's decision to halt use of the new refrigerant on safety concerns leads to a product defense by joint-venture suppliers Honeywell and DuPont, citing SAE studies and their own tests. Although GM is the only U.S. maker with R-1234yf cars, Ford also backs the refrigerant's use.
Along with optimized design, including the integration of functions for individual components, new materials for heavy-truck applications are leading ZF’s lightweight charge. One example on display at the IAA show was a “study” of a four-point link made from glass-fiber-reinforced plastic that reduces weight by 25% compared to the standard cast component.
General Motors' new all-polyolefin, soft-skin, contour-stitched full instrument panel (IP) system in the 2013 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia captured both the Body Interior award and the prestigious Grand Award at the 2012 SPE awards gala Nov. 7. But four of the nine SPE award finalists were Ford products.
To leverage composites as a key strategy in the automotive industry, a complete solution is needed that addresses the challenges of designing, analyzing, and manufacturing composite vehicles in a way that brings them to market faster and at lower cost, says a Dassault Systèmes expert.
