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Among the various materials used today for an instrument panel application, polypropylene is one of the least expensive per kilogram and therefore one of the most attractive. Typically, different polypropylene compounds may be used in different components of the IP according to the desired performance requirements. At the same time, polypropylene is one of the most difficult thermoplastics to use properly when designing an instrument panel due to weaknesses related to its semi-crystalline nature. For some vehicles, the metal reinforcement which would be needed to overcome these weaknesses would lead to a higher overall system cost compared with engineering thermoplastics. In the last decade significant progress has been made in the development of new polypropylene compounds and processes.

A compact cassette and compact disc (CD) mechanism mounting bracket was developed for an automotive radio. The bracket, a single die cast magnesium component, offers a light weight, rigid platform for simultaneously attaching both mechanisms to create a simple modular subassembly.

The scratch resistance of automotive plastic coatings has been studied extensively over the past few years. Most testing methodology to correlate damage of the coating to field conditions has been in the form of small particulate wearing, e.g., alumina oxide abrasive, or indentation resistance of the coating to an external probe, e.g., a nanoindentation device. The subsequent damage imparted to the coating has generally been analyzed by the amount of coating mass lost in the wear event or through a ratio of optical reflectance of the damaged area to the undamaged surface. In this paper, we attempt to delineate surface damage resistance of several automotive clearcoats through an optical interferometry methodology developed to measure volume and depth of damage incurred with small particle alumina oxide erodents in a simulated wear environment.

This paper will present data that is the result of testing several rigid plastics by exposure to several automotive fuels. The fuels were selected from a list of fuels that have been suggested by several customers in the automotive industries. They are representative of fuels in service today and fuels that are expected to be used in the future. The plastics were selected because they are candidates for use in the rigid components of fuel handling systems. These plastics might be used in fuel filter housings, quick connectors, fuel rails or throttle bodies. The data are presented to provide design engineers with some of the information necessary for the design of rigid plastic components for fuel handling systems.

PC/ABS blends have been used with much success in energy management applications for the last 10 years. These systems are typically injection molded; however as blow molding technology advances, a re-examination of applicable applications is warranted. The attributes of the two molding techniques will be compared in a technical manner to illustrate which process delivers the most cost effective solution for automotive interior impact components. Material morphology and property consistency, energy management capability, weight savings, and total systems costs will be explored. Both fabrication techniques will be examined using FEA simulations to demonstrate energy management and weight savings. High magnification microscopy will depict part microstructure for both techniques, illustrating differences in morphology and rubber phase orientation in PULSE* Polycarbonate-Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Blends (PC/ABS).

A new advanced ceramic material (ACM) has been developed and examined for diesel emission control systems, especially for diesel particulate filter (DPF) applications. Lab tests have shown that ACM possesses suitable mechanical and chemical properties for a durable DPF. Engine dynamometer tests have shown that a DPF made from ACM possesses high performance in the key application requirements of high filtration efficiency, low filtration back pressure, fast regeneration, and suitability for catalyst coating applications. The experimental results from this investigation demonstrate that a DPF made from ACM can be used for advanced diesel PM emission control systems, including potential four-way diesel catalytic converter systems.

In the present paper the engineering development of a structural instrument panel (IP) concept made of a Polypropylene (PP) rubber modified compound filled with 15% talc in which the metal cross car beam has been eliminated, is discussed. The design concept consists of three main injection molded shells which are vibration welded to each other to form a stiff structure. The steering column is attached to the BIW and plastic structure by means of a separate column support made of steel, aluminum, magnesium or fiber-reinforced plastic. The concept has been developed for the European market and is therefore not intended to meet the unbelted FMVSS 208 requirements. The total IP assembly has a substantially lower cost and weight than conventional cross car beam based IP structures while meeting all of the performance requirements. The concept development was supported by static and dynamic numerical analyses using well established, widely used FEA codes.

The platform strategy broadly used by OEMs across their different brands, as well as the increasing targets in terms of cost, weight and performance are driving forward since several years the modular approach for a new generation of instrument panels. An innovative hybrid concept has been developed in order to integrate the HVAC system with the structural IP components, reducing cost and weight, improving thermal comfort and structural performance, with at the meantime high style flexibility. The integration of metallic and thermoplastic components, together with a structural use of plastic parts, has driven to the development of different modular concepts. Each of these concepts has been screened and optimized using engineering tools such as finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in order to assess the structural, noise-vibration-harshness (NVH), airflow and cool-down performance.

An advanced high flow PCABS was developed for improving the efficiency of injection molding processes and cycle times. Proprietary technology was used to develop this new blend while maintaining key properties (heat resistance and impact) necessary to meet end use part requirements. Significant rheological improvements in melt flow rate (MFR) and flow capabilities throughout the entire viscosity versus shear rate range were obtained. These improvements allowed for lower cooling times (21-27% reduction) and injection pressures. Molders using this resin have the potential to improve cycle times, improve processes, and save money. This paper will document cycle time and process improvements in automotive instrument panel applications with the new high flow PCABS blend, PULSE*2000EZ.

The drive to reduce weight, simplify assembly, and cut total system cost in today's vehicles is relentless. Replacing metal systems with thermoplastics has been of considerable interest in the engineering community. The current generations of engineering thermoplastic resins are enabling the use of plastic systems in demanding underhood applications. Technical data and discussion regarding the materials, design, molding, and assembly of lightweight composite throttle bodies will be presented in this paper. Comparisons with machined aluminum throttle housings are drawn to establish a baseline with the throttle body housing component that is most common in production today. Design flexibility and process simplification are some of the approaches highlighted. Much of the technical information provided in the paper applies to both cable driven mechanical throttle bodies as well as electronic throttle bodies under development.

The QUESTRA* Crystalline Polymer product family, based on syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS), has been improved to meet the needs of the automotive connector and light socket applications in a very cost effective manner. In this paper, the attributes of two new SPS formulations, SPS/polyamide (PA) blends and low gas SPS formulations, are compared to existing SPS formulations and competitive resins. It is shown that the SPS/PA blends have significantly improved strength and ductility over existing SPS formulations. This improves the SPS formulation technology to include the full range of strength and ductility options the designer of automotive connectors needs to achieve the terminal retention forces and latch deflection distances necessary for the smaller connectors like the .64 mm terminal systems that the automotive industry is migrating towards.

The application of polyalkylene glycol (PAG) as a base stock for engine oil formulation has been explored for substantial fuel economy gain over traditional formulations with mineral oils. Various PAG chemistries were explored depending on feed stock material used for manufacturing. All formulations except one have the same additive package. The friction performance of these oils was evaluated in a motored single cylinder engine with current production engine hardware in the temperature range 40°C-120°C and in the speed range of 500 RPM-2500 RPM. PAG formulations showed up to 50% friction reduction over GF-5 SAE 5W-20 oil depending on temperature, speed, and oil chemistry. Friction evaluation in a motored I-4 engine showed up to 11% friction reduction in the temperature range 40°C-100°C over GF-5 oil. The paper will share results on ASTM Sequence VID fuel economy, Sequence IVA wear, and Sequence VG sludge and varnish tests. Chassis roll fuel economy data will also be shared.

Fully-integrated structural instrument panels (IP) have been in commercial use in passenger cars, light trucks, and sport utility vehicles for some years now. They offer a cost-effective alternative to the more traditional IP construction that utilizes full-size cross car beams to achieve the structural stiffness and energy management required to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 and corporate performance requirements. The natural evolution of interior designs demands an increasing level of integration of the different components in the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the natural extension of current structural IP technology is to integrate the steering column subassembly, i.e., steering column and column support, and the heat, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit into a modular pre-assembled system.

Cyclic oligomers of butylene terephthalate (CBT™)† represent a new chemical route to semi-crystalline thermoplastic polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The oligomers of interest melt completely at about 150°C to produce a low viscosity fluid that is ideal for wetting and dispersing fibrous fillers and reinforcements thereby enabling the development of composites that were previously not possible when working with high viscosity commercial PBT. Introduction of catalyst to undiluted molten cyclic oligomer leads to rapid ring opening polymerization and the formation of high molecular weight thermoplastic PBT without the generation of volatile organic compounds. The polymer resulting from this polymerization will be hereby referred to as pCBT. Treatment of cyclic oligomers in this fashion results in pCBT thermoplastic resin with a high melting point (230°C) and physical performance similar to that of other commercially available PBT resins.

The drive to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the automotive industry is often the driving force for development of new technologies and methods of engineering. Polypropylene (PP) is widely used as a low cost alternative to “engineering” thermoplastics. This paper outlines the characterisation methods used to develop material models for talc-filled impact-modified PP, which are then used to increase the efficiency of the development process, by using engineering analyses to reduce the prototyping costs and potentially the development time for an application. Instrument panels (IPs), door panels and trim parts are usually subjected to heat requirements and must maintain dimensional tolerance levels for each application. This necessitates extensive prototype testing and often several design iterations in order to reach the requirements. This paper deals with the characterisation of PP creep behaviour and development of a model for use in Finite-Element (FE) - based codes.

The established method of clearing a misted car windshield or of maintaining a clear view under misting conditions is through the application of an air supply via jet outlets in the instrument panel. The ability of such arrangements to perform adequately is a function of the prevailing environmental conditions, the vehicle speed, the condition of the demist air source and the geometry and arrangement of the jet outlets. This paper presents experimental data obtained in a purpose built environmental chamber designed to accommodate simple rectangular jets impinging on a misted glass surface. The facility consists of three conditioned air sources applied to a test chamber designed to represent the external, internal and demist air flows. Mist conditions on the glass surface are determined using a novel technique employing a CCD camera acquiring grey scale images which are digitally analysed to generate mist detection, grading and clearing contour data.

Pressures to increase the recyclable and recycled content of passenger vehicles are accelerating. In Europe, there is interest in eliminating halogenated polymers. Globally, more and more concern is focused on materials and methods that are ecologically friendly. Automakers and their suppliers are being encouraged to design and assemble components in new ways to facilitate separation, identification, and resource recovery at the end of the vehicle’s useful life - something that is not only good for the environment, but also the bottom line. One area of the vehicle that has proved challenging for applying such design for disassembly and recycling (DFD/R) principles has been the interior, owing to the sheer number of materials used there, and the great number of laminate structures that make disassembly nearly impossible. A good example is a door panel inner, which typically consists of a rigid plastic substrate, a foam pad, and a vinyl, leather, or cloth covering.

This paper will discuss the analysis of a high-heat, unfilled polyetherimide (PEI) thermoplastic in a complex reflector application with conventional aim (bubble-vial) beam pattern. The advantages and disadvantages of using PEI thermoplastic vs. bulk molding compound (BMC) in a complex reflector will be presented. Design features, testing methodology, and processing techniques for the use of PEI in such applications will also be highlighted.

In a joint effort between Ford Motor Company, Visteon Automotive Systems, Textron Automotive Company, and Dow Automotive the 1999 Mercury Cougar instrument panel (IP) was designed and engineered to reduce the weight and overall cost of the IP system. The original IP architecture changed from a traditional design that relied heavily upon the steel structure to absorb and dissipate unbelted occupant energy during frontal collisions to a hybrid design that utilizes both plastic and steel to manage energy. This design approach further reduced IP system weight by 1.88 Kg and yielded significant system cost savings. The hybrid instrument panel architecture in the Cougar utilizes a steel cross car beam coupled to steel energy absorbing brackets and a ductile thermoplastic substrate. The glove box assembly and the driver knee bolster are double shell injection molded structures that incorporate molded-in ribs for added stiffness.