Search Results

Automotive steering wheels, which play an important role as a human machine interface, are evolving over time with numerous integrations and innovations. Thermoplastic steering wheel, one of the innovations in recent times, offers significant reduction in mass along with part integration and styling flexibility and is an excellent replacement to traditional metal armature steering wheels. Typical steering wheels need to meet many performance requirements before they enter production. With the advancement of computational mechanics and increase in computational capabilities, it has become much easier to evaluate and optimize steering wheel performance in different ways. Instead of manufacturing and running prototype tests, steering wheel designs can be modeled and optimized virtually in various scenarios using standard finite element analysis technique, thus facilitating faster development cycle.

Automotive industry is looking for weight out options to increase the fuel efficiency of automobiles. Thermoplastics usage is increasing to reduce the dead weight of different automotive components. Traditional steering wheel can be replaced with thermoplastic to make it lighter without compromising its performance requirements. Thermoplastic steering wheel offers overall reduction in cost as well as significant reduction in mass. In addition, thermoplastic steering wheel also offers part integration and styling flexibility. As steering wheel has to meet variety of loading criteria (vibration, static loading, dynamic loading and fatigue), the overall design is a multi objective optimization process. Major challenges of thermoplastic steering wheel are to design the effective model for any particular wheel geometry domain defined by OEM's (Original Equipment Manufacturer) styling studios.

Automotive steering wheel (SW) is generally manufactured with metal armature and polyurethane / polypropylene (PU / PP) overmolding. The metal armature is used to provide structural stiffness and strength while PU / PP foam gives shape, touch and feel. Developed market use cast Magnesium or Aluminum as armature material, however emerging markets use steel for armature construction. With additional requirements (airbag integration, functional integration, aesthetics, compact and light weigh) being added to steering wheel, the steering wheel design is becoming more and more complex in nature. Thermoplastic SW offers competitive stiffness, impact, ductility and chemical resistance characteristics needed for the global automotive markets. A thermoplastic SW had been developed from a unique recyclable polycarbonate.

Basic concept of automobile steering wheel has been largely unchanged for years. A metal armature (cast Magnesium or Aluminum) is typically used for steering wheel in most of vehicles to provide stiffness and strength with an over-molded polyurethane giving shape and occupant protection. Thermoplastic steering wheel concept has been developed from a unique polycarbonate-based, recyclable thermoplastic. Thermoplastic steering wheel offers stiffness, impact and ductility performance needsed for the global automotive markets. It offers a green solution with mass and cost advantages. It also opens new avenues for design flexibility and styling differentiation. This paper presents thermoplastic steering wheel technology which optimizes the weight, processing complexity and performance.

Basic automotive steering wheel armature design has been largely unchanged for years. A cast aluminum or magnesium armature is typically used to provide stiffness and strength with an overmolded polyurethane giving shape and occupant protection. A prototype steering wheel armature made from a unique recyclable thermoplastic eliminates the casting while meeting the same stiffness, impact, and performance criteria needed for the automotive market. It also opens new avenues for styling differentiation and flexibility. Prototype parts, manufacturing, and testing results will be covered.