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Towards a lightweight future |
01/11/2011
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| Aluminium is stepping out of the shadows of steel to become the material of choice for vehicle makers as they strive to make their products lighter, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. By Daniel Jubera, Novelis director sales and marketing automotive Europe |
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Making a big noise |
01/06/2011
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| NVH materials are becoming more important as comfort moves up the design agenda. Lou Reade reports
You'd think that the development of quieter engines – such as those seen in hybrid or electric vehicles – would make life easier for the acoustic engineer. If anything, the opposite is true,
... Read more |
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BMW’s 2013 EV is pioneering carbon-fiber design, process technologies |
19/07/2010
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| By committing to a carbon-fiber body for its 2013 MegaCity electric vehicle, BMW is driving design, process, and materials technologies that will help push the strong, lightweight composite closer to the automotive mainstream, according to an expert in lightweight material applications. |
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Composites take prime chassis roles at ZF |
31/03/2010
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| A transverse axle layout and a strut module with integrated wheel carrier are design proposals from ZF that spotlight weight reduction by putting an accent on composite usage. |
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A place for everything |
01/01/2009
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| Breaking away from conventional packaging with innovative materials and techniques will open up new opportunities in concept design, says Andrew Noakes |
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Cat ceramic has ultra-thin walls |
01/01/2008
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| Corning has developed a ceramic substrate for catalytic converters with ultra thin walls that it says will increase engine power and reduce fuel consumption by lowering exhaust system back pressure. |
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Motorised tailgates use combined materials |
01/11/2007
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| In pursuing its modular strategy, Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior has developed new solutions in three fields – motorised rear access doors, vehicle front ends and bumpers. |
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PA46 targets underbonnet applications |
01/11/2007
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| A high performance grade of PA46 has been formulated especially for under-the-bonnet applications. Stanyl Diablo OCD2100 is said to extend the functional life of components well beyond the limits of other high temperature polyamides. |
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TPEs for vibration damping |
01/11/2007
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| Two new grades of Zeon thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) have been developed to give specific properties useful to automotive engineers.
Zeotherm 100-60B has been formulated to give parts improved vibration dampening and a rubber-like flexibility (Shore A value of 62) while maintaining a sustained
... Read more |
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Polyamide water hoses now more flexible |
01/10/2007
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| Polyamide 12 multilayer tubing systems (MLTs) for coolant lines are now even more flexible, thanks to a modification carried out at the molecular level by scientists at Degussa. No plasticiser has been added. |
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Elastomer meets filler neck hose demands |
01/10/2007
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| Filler neck hoses are key components in a fuel system. They must provide a flexible connection between the filler pipe and the fuel tank and be strong enough to withstand significant crash impact without fracture and fuel leakage, while providing an impermeable barrier to evaporative emissions (in
... Read more |
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RTV silicones protect critical electronics |
01/10/2007
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| Working with a major Tier One supplier has allowed a specialist supplier of room temperature vulcanising (RTV) silicones to share new knowledge on the effective sealing of electronic assemblies. |
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Show and tell |
01/09/2007
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| Europe’s biggest car show takes place in Frankfurt from 13 to 23 September. We look beyond the gloss of the show cars and concepts to preview some of the technologies that will be on display |
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High flow plastics cut process costs |
01/09/2007
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| DSM Engineering Plastics has introduced what it calls ‘high flow, high productivity’ materials to offer substantial system cost reductions by shortening injection moulding production cycles and allow greater design freedom in parts. To back up its claims, the company is providing customers with
... Read more |
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Gas injection used on PA66 water pipes |
01/09/2007
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| Cooling-water pipes are exposed to high temperatures and aggressive environment. At the same time they have to provide long-term leak resistance despite internal pressures of almost 2 bar. Consequently they have been traditionally manufactured from metal. |
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Harnesses integrated with crashpads |
01/09/2007
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| Rigid foam crashpads are fitted in areas that pose the greatest danger in accidents – for example, side impact protection in doors, direct impact areas for the head, in the A-pillar or headliner and front impact areas of the passenger compartment. Polyurethane foam is also used in cable sets to
... Read more |
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Super soft foam breakthroughs for car interiors |
01/09/2007
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| Car-makers are placing strenuous demands on foam materials. They must be durable while offering good haptic properties, flexible, robust, odourless and have low emission values.
These requirements are said to be met by Alveolit TP EE and Alveo-Soft, the latest polyolefin foams developed by Sekisui
... Read more |
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TPU-PA parts to replace rubber-metal |
01/09/2007
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| An alternative to costly rubber-metal composite components for damping vibrations in chassis systems uses a novel cross-linked thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and a high strength glass-fibre reinforced polyamide (PA66) produced in a single process, writes Roger Bishop. |
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