Injection/Overmolding
New thermoplastic composite reduces part cost for automotive airbag assembly
In the auto industry, changes in manufacturing processes are difficult. Material certification processes can be long and expensive, especially for parts designed to comply with government safety regulations. But when Quadrant CMS (Tielt, Belgium) recently introduced a thermoplastic composite that dramatically reduced
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Advances in sizings and surface treatments for carbon fibers
As carbon reinforcements find new applications, unfamiliar processes and resin systems make sizing and treatment surprisingly hot topics.
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Reinforced thermoplastic improves Mercedes suspension component
Owners of new Mercedes E 500 Class luxury cars will ride more comfortably on Vibracoustic "Airmatic DC" pneumatic suspension, which now features a composite subassembly as a replacement for the central rear axle's key component, a pneumatic piston. A metal version of the piston was designed by Vibracoustic Hamburg
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Composites Make Large Difference In small Medical, Dental Applications
Surgical instruments and dental restoratives take advantage of polymers with glass-fiber and nanomaterial reinforcements.
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Jaguar XJ Structures Celstran LFRTs Thermoplastics
Although Jaguar Cars Ltd.'s (Whitley, U.K.) newly redesigned Jaguar XJ has a body made from aluminum rather than sheet steel, the automaker and its automotive systems supplier Automold Ltd. (Gloucestershire, U.K.) used Ticona's (Summit N.J., U.S.A., select 296) Celstran long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFRT) in
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Phenolic Delivers More Torque
German automaker BMW and suppliers collaborate to produce the world's first continuously variable intake manifold.
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Multishell process streamlines intake manifold
Mann + Hummel Automotive Inc. (Bloomfield Hills, Mich., U.S.A.) recently reengineered its production process for the air intake manifold on General Motors' four-cylinder, 2.2-liter Ecotec engine, replacing lost-core molding techniques with faster, less expensive "multishell" technology. Mann + Hummel now injection
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