Engineering Materials

Engineering materials is a discussion led by Design News Contributing Materials Editor Doug Smock on important new developments and applications that affect mechanical design. Metals covered include all types of steel and nonferrous metals, in all shapes. Resins covered include nylons, polycarbonates, polysulfides, polyimides, and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Other materials covered include ceramics and rubber. Topics covered include materials enhancement, new applications, process technology, tooling, sustainability, and economic issues. Posts will include latest news from global events such as K 2007, the Alliance of Plastics Processors Annual Conference, the National Plastics Exposition, and the annual technical conference (ANTEC) of the Society of Plastics Engineers.

Profile

About Me

RSS Feed

Add this blog to your RSS newsreader!

By Category

Design News (161)
Syndication (1)

Blog

Engineering Materials

« Will Global Consolidation Untr... | Main | PTFE, PVDF Specialist Thrives ... »

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Composites Are Pushed for Hybrd Vehicles

The Automotive composites Alliance is pushing thermoset plastic composites for a wide variety of applications in hybrid cars, including modules that contain the battery pack, electronic controller and wiring harness. In the US the modules are typically made of several metal stampings which are assembled. Use of composites could reduce the module to two pieces with major savings in weight as well as tooling investment. “Unlike metal, composites don’t conduct electricity, therefore providing an extra safety advantage,” says the Alliance report. “They also won’t corrode and allow integrated airflow cooling in the module’s tunnel, all adding to longer battery life.”

Related entries in: Design News |

Post a comment

Design News Partner Zone

JUNE 26TH WEBCAST: Collaborative Requirements Engineering
Speed your innovation. Capture the "voice of the customer" and translate customer requests into user requirements that define new products. Find out why the new ENOVIA Requirements Management solution enables organizations to improve their overall global requirements management process. Read More

Mechatronics in action
Successful synergistic integration of controls, electronics, computers and mechanical systems is key to the 21st century design process. Unlock the secrets at the Mechatronics Zone!

Webcast: Sensor Know-How Now
Join our moderator Randy Frank and John Keating from Cognex and explore Solving Industrial Inspection Problems. Read More

Engineering Concept Conduit
Engineering Concept Conduit looks at new products and the components that make them exceptional. Each month we’ll look at a new electronic product and see what makes it tick from an engineering point of view. We’ll explore the design and engineering challenges for the product and examine the components that solved those challenges.

Light Matters: Systems Level Approach to HBLED illumination applications
Its good practice to apply a systems-level approach to high-brightness LED (HBLED) illumination applications. Minimally, the system includes the optical, thermal and electrical characteristics of the of the HBLED, the lens (if any) which is built-in to its package, secondary optics such as external plastic lenses/reflectors to direct the light as your application requires and power driver electronics. Read More