Gears that help transfer power from the actuator motor to electronic parking brakes in Audis, Bentleys and Bugattis are injection molded from Fortron linear polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The electromechanical brakes are operated by a switch in the passenger compartment that activates actuators at the rear brake calipers. These brakes prevent a car from rolling on inclines as steep as 30 percent. They remain active until the car has enough forward speed not to roll back. The PPS spur gear within the actuator has a diameter of about 30 mm and is driven by a belt from an electric motor. The gear then drives a transmission that actuates the brake. The actuator housing is also made from an injection molded PPS body and cover. The housing size differs by car, but is generally 130 mm long, 50 mm wide and 80 mm high. The housing must withstand impact of stones propelled by tires and resists degradation from brake fluid and other chemicals used in cars. For more information on PPS gears, go to http://rbi.ims.ca/4933-519.
Almost every automaker has had to 'pick a side' when it comes to alternative fuel options and ways to divest from a reliance on gasoline. Fiat is looking to back compressed natural gas or liquid propane as an interim solution.
Designing and filling a new type of water bottle might take less engineering work, but the description will help kids understand how science, math, and engineering influence their lives even through things that seem mundane.
Against a backdrop of mounting product complexity and a need to keep a lid on development costs, companies are recognizing a need to make simulation a more integral part of the design process. In response, vendors in the CAD world are building out CAE functionality as part of their CAD suites while simulation vendors are building tighter integrations to leading CAD tools. Keith Meintjes, Ph.D., Practice Manager, Simulation and Analysis at CIMdata, Inc., joins Design News CAD Editor Beth Stackpole in this radio program to explore the new face of integrated CAD and CAE, how companies are benefitting from this tighter partnership between platforms, and how integrating CAE earlier in the development cycle pays off in optimized product designs.
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