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This study developed technology for simultaneously welding heterogeneous resin tubes in order to weld and integrate resin tubes with two different specifications (low temperature and high temperature). The aim of integration was cost and weight reduction. The cost reduction due to reducing the number of parts exceeded the increase in material cost due to a change to resin materials. Base material fracture of the resin tubes was set as the breaking format condition, and the welding parameters of the joint part rotations and the friction time between the joint part and the resin tubes were specified as the weld strength judgment standard. In addition, the fused thickness determined by observing the cross-section after welding was specified as the weld quality judgment standard. The range over which weld boundary peeling does not occur and weld strength is manifest was clarified by controlling the welding parameters and the fused thickness.

Modern semiconductor devices enable highly efficient conversion of electrical power. Together with the microcontroller, they are the key elements for generation of the alternating currents from the car's DC supply that are necessary to drive high-performance units such as starter-alternators. These allow the combustion engine to crank up in several 100 ms and deliver up to 15 kW of electrical power. Smart driver ICs such as the TLE6280 enable the fast development of the interface between the microcontroller and the power switches. Currents of some 100A can be handled with the new OptiMOS FETs. Their rugged and ultra-low ohmic technology and their innovative packaging concepts, such as Power Modules and Power-Bonded MOSFETs, allow the building of compact and efficient control units.

Dark, high gloss decorative finishes (i.e. piano black) are gaining increased application and demand in vehicle interiors; due to interior stylists' desire for this look. One significant concern with this trend is that scratches, and other appearance related defects such as orange peel (waviness), are more apparent to the customer. To address this issue, a highly scratch-resistant 2K clearcoat formulation was developed to minimize visible surface scratches, while also yielding minimal orange peel and exceptional DOI (distinctness of image); all while being applied using typical application techniques in the part finishing market. This output was accomplished by first benchmarking the consumer electronics market for appearance and scratch resistance, and then setting targets through that research.

The Engine Control Unit (ECU) for small engines is facing challenges with regard to performance, size and cost. In many instances, the customer requirements often contradict each other. Examples include higher performance at lower cost or smaller size, both of which can cause thermal challenges. In order to meet varying performance requirements in a platform approach, the ECU must provide a wide range of functionality. Providing a solution that can meet these flexible requirements will result in an increased component count and larger ECU size. An optimized feature set in the right package can help alleviate these issues. The ECU must be impervious to a wide range of environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and vibration. Restricted air flow must also be considered when designing an ECU. Existing approaches often apply the use of large aluminum housings to provide a strong mechanical support with good thermal performance.