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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.

Automobile manufacturers, designers, and cockpit system integrators are in constant search of solutions that reduce the number of interruptions across interior surfaces. Engineers require that this solution be efficient in terms of reliability, parts complexity, packaging space, and cost. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of a cost effective, simplified seamless passenger airbag door system with an integrated chute for instrument panels. Through engineering thermoplastic material property advantages and scoring designs, this solution has a construction which may meet both styling and performance criteria while eliminating component parts such as a separate airbag chute, hinges, tethers, brackets, inserts, fabrics, and fasteners.

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.

Low speed bumper impact performance relies on the capability of the energy absorber (EA) to absorb energy efficiently through multiple impacts. Series impacts are typically assessed via physical part testing due to the difficulties of predicting multiple impacts accurately. This paper describes a predictive engineering method used to assess the performance of injection molded thermoplastic energy absorber systems in multiple impacts.

This paper describes a methodology to prototype and validate thermoplastic energy absorbers in a broad range of vehicle geometries. The objective of this prototype tool designed with quick prototype methodology is to achieve ready PC/PBT energy absorber designs for pedestrian testing. Generic vehicle models were used to finalize the energy absorber design features. The prototype tool was designed from optimized energy absorber designs that meet pedestrian performance in low packaging space, typically 45–60 mm. A set of prototype tools is being built to match different beam heights and packaging spaces. The tool has also the functionality of achieving different thickness and different design features using the latest manufacturing technologies. A full energy absorber can be built from individual lobes over the width of the car. The finalized design combined with ‘quick prototyping’ methodology was used to finalize the mold design, which can cater to a wide range of vehicle geometries.