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.

Opel, BASF Unveil All-Plastic Car Seat

Posted by Doug Smock on November 19, 2009

Opel is in the news almost weekly for financial reasons. But the German-based subsidiary of General Motors is also making some technical news. Opel joined with Recaro, a Tier II seat maker, and BASF to develop an all plastic car seat that eliminates the requirement for a steel frame. The seats are low weight while offering high mechanical strength, good ergonomic properties and a sporty look. The ...... Read More

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Industries: Materials/Fastening

What Ever Happened to Chrysler's Composite Concept Vehicle (CCV)?

Posted by Doug Smock on November 12, 2009

A reader of this blog (”Fiero Larry”) recently asked a great question: what ever happened to the Composite Concept Vehicle (CCV) announced with great ballyhoo by Chrysler in the 1990s? He says: “They claimed that the cost of a current Neon body was 80 percent of the cost of making a car and could be reduced by 75 percent by molding and assembling a few pieces and painting only ...... Read More

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Industries: Materials/Fastening

Complex Moldings Garner Dreamliner 787-Related Award

Posted by Doug Smock on November 11, 2009

Don’t blame Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing of Bristol, RI, for any of the much-publicized supply problems leading to production delays of the Boeing Dreamliner 787. It was announced this week that Tri-Mack is the first recipient of General Electric Aviation’s Supplier Quality Awareness Award for work on parts for the GEnx-1b, a next-generation turbofan engine. The GEnx-1b incorporat ...... Read More

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Industries: Materials/Fastening

New Huntsman Thermoset Mimics Elastomers

Posted by Doug Smock on November 5, 2009

A new thermoset system from Huntsman Advanced Materials provides elastomeric qualities, while retaining the benefits of epoxy infusion. One of the key attributes is the ability to use the material with carbon fiber systems and textiles due its low viscosity. In addition to flexibility and excellent impact strength, the unique system also provides high transparency, brightness and UV resistance. &# ...... Read More

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Industries: Materials/Fastening

Mattel Shifts Design Practices; Goes Electric On Molding

Posted by Doug Smock on November 3, 2009

Two years ago, Mattel was forced to make massive product recalls due to lead poisoning of paint. Last June the Consumer Product Safety Commission fined Mattel $2.3 million for violation of federal regulations on lead paint. A design flaw also led to a recall of products with small magnets. The problems hurt the company’s market share. Part of Mattel’s response is to carefully audit i ...... Read More

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Industries: Materials/Fastening

Boeing Picks South Carolina for Dreamliner Assembly Plant

Posted by Doug Smock on October 29, 2009

Boeing is getting ready to put the pedal to the metal to accelerate production of the stalled 787 Dreamliner. A second final assembly plant will be built in North Charleston, SC. The new plant, expected to be operational in mid-2011, will also have the capability to support the testing and delivery of the airplanes. “Establishing a second 787 assembly line in Charleston will expand our prod ...... Read More

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Xerox Ink Allows Printing of Electronic Circuits on Plastics

Posted by Doug Smock on October 28, 2009

Xerox says it has developed a conductive ink that creates a low-cost method to add computing power to plastic and other surfaces. One potential application is a “smart” pill box that tracks how much medication a patient has taken. One of the technical breakthroughs was development of a conductive ink with a melting point below that of plastic. The silver ink has a melting point of 14 ...... Read More

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Industries: Software/Hardware , Materials/Fastening

Watch Your Injection Molding Suppliers

Posted by Doug Smock on October 26, 2009

Companies such as Delphi and GM have emerged from bankruptcy, but considerable distress remains in the injection molding supply chain for automotive and other industries. A complete plastic injection molding machine operation in Los Fresnos, TX goes on the auction block tomorrow, for example. injection molders in the USA are barely budging 50 percent of capacity - and that’s with a much red ...... Read More

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Metabolix Tests Bio-Engineered Polymers With Tobacco

Posted by Doug Smock on October 23, 2009

Metabolix is moving forward with its plans to produce bioengineered polymers from crops other than corn. The Massachusetts company announced it has completed a field trial of tobacco, genetically engineered to “express” polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biobased polymers. In the Metabloix plan, crops such as switchgrass are bioengineered to create a polymer that grows within the plants ...... Read More

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Industries: Software/Hardware , Materials/Fastening

Aluminum Makes its Case for Electric Vehicles

Posted by Doug Smock on October 22, 2009

The battle between materials for the next-generation vehicles continues to heat up. A new study by the Aluminum Association claims a savings of up to $3,000 per electric vehicle can be achieved by reducing structure weight by 10 percent with aluminum. “As automakers gear up for a new generation of plug-in electric vehicles, the high cost of battery power remains a barrier,” says Mich ...... Read More

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Industries: Materials/Fastening , Software/Hardware

Dreamliner Design Modification Is 'On Track'

Posted by Doug Smock on October 18, 2009

Boeing says the side-of-body modification for the Dreamliner is “on track”, but is still not disclosing any details. In a statement released Oct. 16, Scott Fancher, general manager of the Dreamliner program, said: “The design of the side-of-body solution is on track. Installations of the fittings are proceeding well and we are pleased with the progress we are making on this im ...... Read More

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Swine Flu Injects Some Life Into Injection Molders

Posted by Doug Smock on October 17, 2009

The push to deliver swine flu vaccines is creating a short-term boom for some plastics processors. An injection molder in Bradenton, FL called Delaney Manufacturing got a rush order for up to 50,000 polystyrene trays used to ship vaccine from a major pharmaceutical company. Delaney was first contacted in July, and began production in mid-October. The first shipment is due in late October. The comp ...... Read More

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