Delphi Steel Hybrid Crossbeam
(Photo: Delphi Corp.)The beam integrates the components beneath the instrument panel within the cockpit module, helping manufacturers achieve mass, cost and interior spaciousness objectives. The system consists of a steel tube "over-molded" with plastic composites and in-mold localized reinforcements. The beam integrates the primary Noise, Vibration, Harshness (NVH) and structural support members, along with the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) and safety systems. Component support and registration eliminate the need for additional add-on brackets. The product is able to reduce overall part count while maintaining serviceability and integrity of the vehicle steering column support, HVAC, electrical, center stack and energy-absorbing components. Delphi says there are several advantages provided by the new product. There is a 10 to 15 percent cost savings over conventional subsystems, a 1 to 3 kilogram reduction in mass and a 5 to 10 percent improvement in air flow. The company says the beam is ideally suited for high-volume applications where a common vehicle architecture is utilized. The product can be used in all vehicle segments, the company adds, including medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Lon Offenbacher, global business line executive, cockpits and integrated closure systems, Delphi Thermal and Interior explained, "We were able to develop, prototype, test and manufacture the Steel Hybrid Cross-car Beam completely in-house. It is on-the-shelf technology we are offering to our customers and we're confident they will see its clear value proposition." Production has been targeted for the 2009 model-year.
(Source: Delphi
Corp.)Watch Your Back: Rear Wipers
Need Attention, Too BROADVIEW, IL (March 28, 2006) - Seventy-five million vehicles are equipped with rear wipers, estimates Robert Bosch Corp. Yet, when it's time for scheduled maintenance, most drivers forget their rear wipers are important to all around visibility and safe driving.
"Statistics show that 16 percent of consumers who buy two blades for a three-blade vehicle, do not purchase the third blade," said Otto Stefaner, senior product manager for Bosch. "Front wipers are replaced, on average, every three years, but the rear wiper is replaced only every six." The company recommends checking and replacing front and rear wipers every spring and fall. "All-around visibility is critical to safe driving," he emphasized. Salt, debris, sunlight, all reduce a wiper blade's ability to keep the view of the back unobstructed. In addition, he added, infrequent use decreases the flexibility of the wiping element, resulting in severe streaking that impairs a driver's vision and poses a safety risk.
(Source: Robert Bosch
Corp.)Advanced Polymers For Lighting Applications Introduced ALPHARETTA, GA (March 30, 2006 ) - Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC has introduced two new materials that provide new options for highly reflective metal automotive lighting applications. According to Solvay, automotive lighting designers hold high expectations for the resins they specify for use in forward lighting applications, such as headlamp bezels and reflectors, fog-lamp reflectors and park-and-turn reflectors. Materials that exhibit excellent surface appearance, high-temperature resistance, superior impact properties and high flow rates are key to being competitive in today's global market. In response, Solvay has introduced two new grades of amorphous materials that have been developed specifically for automotive lighting applications: RADEL LTG-3000 polyethersulfone (PES) and UDEL LTG-2000 polysulfone (PSU). The materials are designed to perform better than conventional polyetherimide (PEI) resins and high-heat polycarbonate (PC)/PEI blends. Both new products are capable of direct metallization, which can eliminate secondary production operations and reduce the system of a lighting component. RADEL has been optimized for automotive lighting, particularly in directional lighting applications, where the quality of the surface is paramount. It is designed to meet both surface quality and functional requirements such as thermal resistance, impact and flow. These products have shown to be excellent materials for use in these critical and demanding lighting applications, in which temperatures up to 205
