Quite a lot of “firsts” had been acknowledged among the many many 10 prize courses on the 53rd Annual Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Division Blue Ribbon Automotive Innovation Awards — the oldest and largest world rivals of its kind throughout the plastics commerce. Included had been enhancements throughout the courses of Electrical & Autonomous Automotive Applications and Aftermarket & Restricted Model/Specialty Cars, along with an expanded and renamed Sustainability environmental class, with all these added starting in 2022. As in earlier years, thermoplastics and thermoplastic composites led in all courses.
Since its establishment in 1970, this event has focused on the developments launched by polymeric provides to automotive and ground transportation industries, resembling weight and value low cost, parts consolidation, elevated safety, and enhanced aesthetics and design freedom. Quite a lot of teams composed of OEMs, tier suppliers and polymer producers submit nominations describing their half, system or full automobile and why it must be acknowledged as a result of the ‘yr’s most fashionable use of plastics.’ The event normally brings collectively about 700 OEM engineers, automotive and plastics commerce executives, and commerce media.
This is a check out this yr’s winners, starting with the grand award and sophistication winner for course of/assembly/enabling utilized sciences.
Toyota Motor’s 2024 entrance seat once more and cushion frames, featured throughout the Toyota Tacoma, are the first acknowledged adoption of resin shock mounts in automobile seats. These enable dynamic lateral, vertical and horizontal movement, augmenting comfort for automobile occupants all through off-roading. Injection molded with BASF Ultramid B3ZG7 CR and B3ZG 10 nylon 6 grades formulated for the equipment by U.S. Farathane, the airbag-compatible entrance seat resin physique integrates 10 elements, along with insert-molded side airbag attachments, ball joint mounts and lumbar mat connections, thereby reducing complexity and eliminating the need for 10 to twenty additional parts.
The front-seat once more and cushion frames throughout the 2024 Toyota Tacoma are the first know adoption of resin shock mounts in automobile seats. Provide: SPE Automotive Div.
Insert-molded nuts and wire harness attachments throughout the seat cushion physique help streamline manufacturing. The design improves expertise comfort; cuts mass and value; and as well as helps future adaptability, whereas meeting safety and effectivity necessities.
Aftermarket and Restricted Model/Specialty Cars: E-bus Battery Pack Housing
The thermoplastic-intensive battery pack with 240 kg (529 lbs) of plastic per automobile that appears throughout the 2024 Bluebus 12-meter e-bus claims to be the first acknowledged globally to produce enhanced fireside resistance in electrical bus functions. Sheet extruded by Simona AG using SABIC’s Stamax FR30YH611 long-glass fiber PP provides 30% weight monetary financial savings compared with metal variations.
This intumescent, flame-retardant, long-glass-fiber-reinforced PP compound prevents thermal runaway by forming a defending char, giving occupants additional time to evacuate throughout the event of a fireside. The battery pack maintains chilly side temperatures below 250°C (482°F) to cease carpet ignition, whereas providing structural integrity by its integration with picket and metal elements. This design improves safety and reduces heat swap, talked about to outperform aluminum enclosures throughout which flames broke by.
Physique Exterior: Self Adjusting Fastener Sleeve
One different first is the sleeve for flush exterior door handles of Widespread Motors’ 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, which eliminates information adjustments and specialised devices, enabling dimensional fit-up to class A ground in all directions whereas using customary hex-head fasteners, an commerce first. Injection molded by Witol Automotive with BASF’s B3WG10 50% glass-fiber-filled nylon 6, this design integrates a metallic sleeve inside a snap-fit clamshell plastic housing, enabling real-time adjustments all through assembly.
This design reduces labor time by two-to-three minutes per cope with, saving as a lot as 12 minutes per automobile. The metallic sleeve provides load-bearing stability, and the design matches seamlessly with current GM fasteners, avoiding dear rework or changes to fastener kinds. Effectivity is improved whereas reducing metal parts and plastic straps.
Physique Inside: Rear Storage Panels
Moreover a world-first design is the 1,350 × 465 mm (4.4 ft. x 1.5 ft.) rear storage panel for Toyota Motor’s 2024 Tacoma. Injection molded by Vuteq using two BASF Ultramid glass-fiber, mineral-reinforced nylon 6 grades — B3GM35 Q649 (15% glass fiber/25% mineral filler) and B3WGM24 HPX BK23210 (10% glass fiber/20% mineral filler) — the two-panel outer and inside assembly meets tough effectivity requirements, along with subzero affect resistance (-30°C/-22°F), 12,000 fatigue cycles and thermo-cycle effectivity with out eternal deformation. With 4 grain patterns, it contains a single painted cope with for ease of use, and the inside and outer shells are mechanically mounted at 34 locations. Use of the 20% mineral and 10% glass-filled nylon 6 for the inside panel improved stream by 23%, reducing clamp tonnage and growing the processing window. This decision achieves a 0.5-mm (0.019 in.) dimensional tolerance, ensures sturdiness and eliminates problems with cracking or deformation beneath load.
Chassis/{{Hardware}}: Half-Shaft Rear-Axle Diaphragm Boots
The injection molded diaphragm boots for Ford Motor’s 2024 Ford E-Transit — manufactured by INSIT Group using Celanese’s high-performance thermoplastic polyester Hytrel HTR8745LV TPC-ET — substitute press blow-molded designs. As such, they’re talked about to ship 15% weight low cost and 17% supplies monetary financial savings. The design of these half-shaft rear-axle diaphragm boots moreover permits bigger angulation and longer plunge than completely different such merchandise accessible available in the market. The fashionable use of this high-MFR and low-viscosity resin ensures extreme flex fatigue resistance, vital for half-shaft strategies the place each flip offers stress.
Whole, this design permits a 50% low cost in grease utilization, improved joint lubrication and reduce working temperatures. Mildew filling simulation eradicated defects resembling air traps and weld strains, producing injection molded parts with superior sturdiness and productiveness.
Electrical and Autonomous Automotive Applications: Extreme-Voltage Battery Module Busbar
This high-voltage busbar security, which appears on Ford Motor’s 2025 Ford E-Transit, is injection molded by Kyungshin using SABIC’s H1030 flame-retardant PP compound. The design leverages the intumescent resin, providing 15% weight monetary financial savings and 35% worth low cost compared with typical designs.
The material’s distinctive properties enable it to develop from 2.8 to 5 mm (0.11 to 0.20 in.) when uncovered to temperatures as a lot as 200°C (392°F), boosting thermal resistance and stopping arcing in high-nickel battery chemistries. This enhanced security ensures the dielectric energy stays intact, even in extreme circumstances. With a most working temperature of 75°C (167°F), it delivers superior safety for EV battery packs and helps long-term reliability.
Provides: EGR Chilly Tube/Diffuser
Altering stainless-steel with thermoplastic, this exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cold-tube diffuser on Ford Motor’s 2023 Mustang, Explorer, Escape, Ranger, Bronco and Maverick autos achieves a 15% weight monetary financial savings and integrates straight into the air-intake assembly, eliminating three fasteners and plenty of brazing operations. Extruded by Viking Plastics using Envalior’s Xytron G4024T GF 40 PPS, it is designed to withstand a excessive acid setting with pH ranges of two.2 and temperatures as a lot as 200°C (392°F). This high-performance thermoplastic provides superior chemical resistance compared with stainless-steel.
The diffuser handles noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) requirements, withstanding acceleration of 8G, whereas sustaining structural integrity. This design simplifies assembly, reduces half complexity and significantly cuts costs. Its sturdiness and chemical resistance in extreme environments assure long-lasting effectivity, setting a model new customary for EGR system effectivity.
Powertrain: Plastic Coolant Hub
This thermoplastic coolant hub, which appears on Ford Motor’s 2025 Mustang Mach E, is insert injection molded by Viking Plastics using two of Celanese’s glass-reinforced nylon 66 grades — Zytel 70G30 HSLR BK186LM and 70G13 HS1L NC010. On account of it integrates plenty of tubes, fittings and connectors proper right into a single, compact manifold, this hub improves EV coolant system effectivity, reducing tubing measurement by 1.23 meters (4 ft.) and eliminating eight quick connects, six tee/wye adaptors and three additional adaptors.
Ford Motor’s 2024 Mustang Mach E coolant hub integrates plenty of elements, slicing tubing measurement by 4 ft. Provide: SPE Automotive Div.
System weight is lowered by as a lot as 5%, whereas coolant pressure drop is decreased, bettering normal system effectivity. The laser-welded hub comprises three injection-molded elements that sort a leak-tight development, which features a pressure-balancing orifice. With 30% fewer connections, the design achieved a 50% low cost in packaging space whereas eradicating 29 tube insertions and 6 tube-forming processes for assembly monetary financial savings.
Safety: Busbar Cable Help Bracket
This busbar cable assist bracket, which appears on Widespread Motors’ 2025 Cadillac Celestiq, is designed to cease thermal runaway and high-voltage arcing by minimizing cable motion. Injection molded by Grand Traverse Plastics using high-performance V0-rated PBT and PPS thermoplastics — Celanese’s 3316 EF 3022 N PBT and Syensqo’s Ryton R-4-220BL PPS — the design eliminates a metallic retention operate whereas providing reliable assist.
Isolating the 15-kg (33 lb) busbars enhances safety and sturdiness. The snap-fit design provides over 240 N of axial retention energy with a single fastener per location, reducing the need for better than 10 fasteners per rechargeable vitality storage system (RESS). The ergonomic arrange, requiring solely 45 N of insertion energy, enormously reduces assembly time and scrap costs.
Sustainability: Exterior Cladding With Dwelling Hinge
Combining a 1,000-mm (39-in.) prolonged dwelling hinge and 30% postconsumer recycled (PCR) TPO, this MIC A-class exterior cladding — featured on Rivian Automotive’s 2024 Rivian R1T and R1S fashions — is injection molded by KB Components using Superior Composites’ ADX2361 TPO PCR supplies. This design consolidates 12 parts into 4 and eliminates 36 metal fasteners per automobile. The thin-walled half achieves tight tolerances, color match and no weld strains, meeting all aesthetic and purposeful requirements.
With a $40 worth monetary financial savings per automobile and a reduction of additional 490,000 kg of CO2 per yr, this decision significantly improves sustainability. The instrument design incorporates superior gating and venting to deal with the gases from PCR supplies, guaranteeing dimensional stability and ground prime quality whereas streamlining manufacturing.
This exterior cladding for Rivian’s R1T and R1S fashions is molded from PCR TPO and features a 39″ dwelling hinge. Provide: SPE Automotive Div.