Structural Adhesives Lighten the Load
Adhesives are improving unibody strength and stiffness while reducing vehicle weight.
Michael Anderson
Senior Technical Editor, Automotive Design & Production
Former Dura CEO Denton Joins Design/Engineering/Construction Firm
Auto industry veteran Larry Denton has been named president of the process engineering practice of Dearborn, Mich.-based Ghafari Associates LLC.
Chrysler Extends Use of Soy-Based Acoustic Foam
Chrysler Group LLC is expanding its use of a new soy acoustic foam that is easier to use, less dense and more recyclable than petroleum-based materials.
Dow Doubles on Composites Research
Another data point regarding the transition toward what may be considered non-traditional materials for automotive applications (unless, of course, said applications are for cars with (1) price tags that are generally at or above six figures or (2) use on Formula One circuits) comes from Dow Automotive Systems, which has recently opened two labs with a focus on developing carbon fiber composites.
Dow Automotive Adds Two Composite Tech Centers
Dow Chemical Co.'s automotive systems unit has opened laboratories in Europe and North America to help customers develop carbon fiber composite processing technology.
Ford, Dow to Partner on Carbon-Fiber Research
Ford Motor Co. and the Dow Automotive Systems unit of Dow Chemical Co. have agree to collaborate in a quest to find ways to use carbon-fiber composites in high-volume production vehicles.
No Air? No Problem!
Another run-flat tire? Not exactly.
Building Taxis with Adhesives
Dow estimates the overall weight save compared to a conventionally built vehicle is on the order of 30 percent.
Inside NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow
Looking to improve safety and reduce vehicle costs, NASCAR has developed a new vehicle standard for all of its teams called the “Car of Tomorrow.” Six years in the making, it is being used on tracks today.
Plastics Progress: What You Need to Know
New materials that can help produce better products.
EuroAuto: Details on the Development of the Audi R10 TDI
Here’s another look (check out the May issue of AD&P for more) at the revolutionary diesel development by Audi that shows that diesel-powered cars can compete with—and beat—the best gasoline-powered sports cars.
A Sticky Situation
Adhesive bonding didn’t penetrate the market as quickly as expected, but the moves to multiple substrates and new, tougher to weld generations of steel, has increased interest in this technology.
Creating Clever Things With Plastics
The auto industry and its suppliers are coming up with some clever ways to do everything from saving gasoline to providing pedestrian protection with plastics. Here are the category winners in the SPE Automotive Div.’s annual plastics awards.
Lotus Bonds with Aluminum
If aluminum-intensive cars are ever to become more than an occasional curiosity, automakers may have to give up their weld shops.
Lighter Doors Make a Massive Difference for 2025 (To Say Nothing of the Rest of the Closures)
Here’s a look at a study conducted to get a sense of just how much mass can be taken out of closures through the use of mixed materials rather than just one. You
may be surprised at what
they determined.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
A Revolutionary Material
This is a technology that can change the industry.
2017 Hyundai Elantra: All This and More
Compact cars were once considered to be stepping stones to at least a midsize model. That may no longer be the case and buyers both young and old are looking for style, content and capability in smaller packages (assuming they’re not going for a crossover). The all-new 2017 Hyundai Elantra is built to compete—and we do mean built.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
