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The Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Div. announced the winners of its 31st annual Most Innovative Use of Plastics Awards. Winners were chosen in six categories: Chassis, Powertrain, Interior, Exterior, Materials, and Enabling Technologies/Processes.

The winning entry in the chassis category was the Audi A2 front-end module. The innovative module was the first to join metal to metal during the injection molding process. This gave the Audi designers increased design freedom associated with plastics, while allowing for the structural integrity and safety performance of fender-to-fender steel. Faurecia was the system supplier, molder and tooling supplier, while Bayer supplied the material. Faurecia estimates that the innovation offered a 30% weight savings, and a cost avoidance of 20%.

If the Audi A2 front-end module illustrates what plastics can do for the tiniest of vehicles, the Powertrain winner certainly shows that it can be equally effective for the biggest. Charge-air-Cooler (CAC) end tanks for the Ford F250 to 550 trucks took honors in the Powertrain category. These high-volume parts are a direct replacement for cast-aluminum parts, and saved over 3.5 lb. per assembly. Valeo was the supplier for the system, while Carlisle Engineered Products did the molding and built the tools.

The Aztek took top honors in the Interiors category. The unique vehicle's self-stowing/rolling convenience system supplied by Lear earned some redemption for the much-maligned crossover. The cleverly designed storage system is capable of holding 400 lb. as it rolls out over the tailgate; it sets a new standard for utility vehicle storage. Lear worked with Duroplast, Nova and Spartech Poly-cam to better the metal prototype by 12 kg and $34.

In what shows that these people are willing to leave no stone unturned, the linchpin of the rolling system is a high tech device that offers smooth-ultra quiet operation: inline skate wheels.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:12 AM