Automotive Plastics

Soaring Fuel Costs Make Weight Savings Ever More Vital

By Richard Stewart

The U.S. automotive industry slump continues unabated due to high raw-material costs and a weakened U.S. economy. The plastics segment of the automotive parts industry has been severely impacted by slowing automobile production and cost-cutting mandates. But plastics parts suppliers remain cautiously optimistic in the face of ever louder cries from consumers for fuel-efficient vehicles. Lightweight components made from plastics and plastics-based composites continue to replace steel, whose cost has doubled in recent months. Advantages of plastics, such as weight reduction for improved fuel economy and parts consolidation for reduced production costs, are becoming more important than ever in automotive applications.

A Very Tough Year

According to AlixPartners LLP, a global business advisory firm, 2008 has been “one of the toughest years yet” in the auto industry. The 2008 AlixPartners Global Automotive Review (May 2008) predicts a drop-off of one million units this year in North America along with a decrease in profitability as more consumers switch from trucks and SUVs to smaller, lower-margin vehicles. “The combination of unprecedented raw-materials spikes, the weak dollar, and slowing economies around the world is going to make this a year that separates the strong from the weak,” the report states.

But the future remains bright for automotive plastics. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued “A Safety Roadmap for Future Plastics and Composites Intensive Vehicles” in November 2007 which identifies research needs and priorities in the near-, mid-, and long-term, as well as the challenges and opportunities to the development of lightweight, plastics-rich, fuel-efficient vehicles by 2020.

The report summarizes input from government researchers and industry experts, including the American Chemistry Council's Plastics Division, which predicted cars will be on the average 50% lighter than today by 2020 through the use of plastics and polymer-based composites. Continuing improvements in traditional vehicle interior plastics applications will enable future Plastics and Composites Intensive Vehicles (PCIV) to feature an improved ‘safety cocoon' in the passenger cabin, more effective interior padding to protect occupants in rollover crashes, improved seat assemblies that cradle passengers in impacts, and advanced methods to cushion and attenuate impact forces and redistribute or deflect impact loads, the report states.

“Since plastics and composites are already used to a large extent for interior safety applications (air bags, foam padding, seat assemblies) and industry continues to improve them incrementally, the major growth opportunities for future PCIVs are in exterior and propulsion system applications,” observes the report. It notes that industry trends project a substantial increase in the use of automotive plastics for reducing vehicle net weight and for improving environmental impacts and fuel efficiency over the next two decades in response to consumer pressures, and to take advantage of the rapid advances in materials science and technology.

The 14 th annual DuPont Automotive/Society of Automotive Engineers Survey (April 2008) of automotive designers and engineers found that 82% of the respondents feel that weight reduction is the second most important criteria in material selection after cost reduction. That is up from 66% in last year's survey. And 62% of the respondents believe that advanced composites will grow the most over the next 10 years. Renewable, bio-based materials are also expected to be another area of strong growth. The outlook for increased collaboration between OEMs and suppliers is positive, the respondents feel.

Alternative to Glass

Polycarbonate glazing is growing in importance as a lightweight alternative to glass, especially in large, panoramic roof systems, which typically double the weight above a vehicle's beltline compared to a conventional roof. EXACTEC LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of SABIC Innovative Plastics (the former GE Plastics), offers designers new capabilities in innovative vehicle glazing with Lexan GLX™ PC resin. The material not only provides significant weight reduction, up to 50% vs. glass and metal systems, but also makes it possible to create dramatic, wraparound designs and incorporate functionality that cannot be achieved with glass. The Lincoln MKT concept sports a one-piece rear window and spoiler molded of Lexan. The Land Rover LRX concept features a panoramic roof and rear window of Lexan.

EXACTEC operates a global technology development center in Wixom , Michigan ( USA ), offering enhanced process development, prototype fulfillment, and technical support to the automotive industry. Capabilities include injection-compression molding with two colors, a testing lab for PC glazing, and a wet coating lab in a clean room environment. Coating systems, including plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and wet coats that add protection and aesthetics, are key to successful PC glazing solutions, the company relates.

Hyundai's HED -5 i-mode concept car, a collaboration between Hyundai and Bayer MaterialScience ( BMS ), incorporates glazing components made from BayVision®, the new complete system for automotive glazing based on Makrolon® PC resin. The windshield, rear window, four moving and two fixed side windows, two hinged windows, and a large roof module provide a design that could not be produced with glass. Infrared absorbers which are specially tuned to Makrolon provide thermal protection for the interior, notes BMS .

Award-winning Process

Webasto used Makrolon to produce a large roof module (3.9 sq. ft./1.2 sq. meters) for the smart fortwo using the injection-compression process, followed by a coating step. The two-component glazing incorporated a frame molded of BMS Bayblend® DP T95MF, a black-pigmented PC/ ABS blend, which exhibits shrinkage behavior similar to Makrolon. The low pressure injection-compression process earned Webasto a 2008 Automotive News PACE Award. The annual PACE Awards program recognizes the most innovative products and processes in the auto industry.

BMS recently announced that it had completed a program of extensive testing of adhesive systems that can be used most effectively with Makrolon PC resins and Bayblend and Makroblend alloys. BMS worked with adhesive manufacturers Dow Automotive, Henkel, and Sika to perform wide-ranging tests with the thermoplastics. PC and PC blends normally used for large transparent roof modules have coefficients of thermal expansion that are more than five times higher than that of steel, making the choice of adhesive an important consideration. The adhesive, as well as the nature of the substrate and the position of the adhesive bead play a major role in minimizing deformation of the bonded plastic parts, relates BMS . The findings from the tests are expected to help the company optimize customer support in projects for PC glazing components.

BMS has developed PUR film composites for roof modules, launching a new concept for manufacturing lightweight roof modules and antenna covers with Class A surfaces. Pre-coated Makrofol® PC film is back-injected with a Baydur® STR PUR system, which is reinforced with long glass fibers. The film is produced with a colored base coat and a clear top coat, which is cured with UV light after the film is thermoformed. Cost-intensive wet coating of the final part is not required, notes BMS .

Advanced Materials

Moving further into the future is the Toyota 1/X concept, sporting a roof produced from a bioplastic material derived from kenaf and ramie plants that increases the amount of light entering the vehicle, improves heat insulation, and reduces noise. The aerodynamic, ultra lightweight 1/X provides the same interior space as the current Toyota Prius hybrid at about one-third the weight, Toyota reports. The 926 lb.(420 kg) curb weight is partially achieved through the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) throughout the body frame. The CFRP components create a structure designed to absorb impacts during a crash.

The expense of CFRP materials, estimated at as much as 30 times the cost of steel, keeps these composites out of mainstream automotive production. But applications are being added every year in high-end vehicles such as the Corvette ZR1 and Dodge Viper supercars. The 2009 ZR1 features wider-than-standard carbon fiber front fenders with integral dual air vents and a CFRP hood with a raised polycarbonate window that reveals the intercooler below. The roof panel, rocker moldings, and other components are also made from CFRP composites. On the new Viper, an innovation is the carbon fiber hood with integral, molded-in louvers.

The Jeep Renegade two-seater concept incorporates components molded of Tegris®, a lightweight polypropylene composite from Milliken and Company said to provide excellent impact resistance and stiffness. Formerly branded as MFT, the material is based on the patent-pending PURE technology, which produces a highly-engineered, coextruded PP tape yarn, which is woven into a fabric. Multiple layers of fabric are stacked and consolidated with heat and pressure to form rigid sheets, which can be molded using pressure-thermoforming techniques.

The fully recyclable material is used for the Renegade's chassis, interior tub, seat frames, and instrument panel. Exterior panels are molded of CFRP, but lower-cost Tegris panels could also be used for those, as well, if the concept is taken to production. The Renegade features one-piece molded, doors and seats. The seats and head cushions are made with a urethane skin and soy-based foam, co-molded with a composite structure. Color of the interior and external composite components is molded in, eliminating paint.

Competing With Aluminum

SABIC and AZDEL Inc. are developing IXIS™ high performance composites, a new family of reinforced composite sandwich materials designed to produce Class A painted parts with the weight, stiffness and dimensional stability of aluminum. IXIS technology is based on a core of AZDEL's low-density Superlight® chopped-fiber/thermoplastics sheet sandwiched between skins produced from two plies of PC/PCT tapes reinforced with continuous glass fibers at 0 ° and 90 ° orientation . A prototype hood was made for a Hyundai advanced technology demonstration vehicle and tested against European and Japanese pedestrian safety requirements. Findings showed that the IXIS material offers the potential for production of composite automotive hoods that can meet pedestrian safety regulations, relates SABIC.

In response to the demands for low VOC emissions, DSM Composite Resins has developed a new SMC- BMC resin system for exterior automotive applications that it claims sets a new industry standard for VOC reduction. Called Palapreg Premium, the material was developed at DSM's Competence Center for SMC/ BMC in Ludwigshafen , Germany . It is said to provide significantly improved surface quality of SMC- BMC , and is fully online paintable, making it well suited for large exterior body panels. Palapreg Premium resin is commercially available for Class A SMCs, including low-density recipes.

Advanced materials technology company Fiberforge is in the process of commercializing a manufacturing process for the production of lower-cost advanced thermoplastic composite parts from tailored blanks. The near net-shape blanks are made from multiple layers of tapes formed from continuous fibers and thermoplastic resin in a high-speed layup machine. The machine enables the fibers to be oriented within the part so that loads are carried along the fiber direction, improving performance and minimizing cost, explains Fiberforge. The layers are fused into a solid part, then thermoformed and trimmed to produce finished parts. A variety of fibers and resins can be used to produce the tailored blanks.

Smart Body Panels

The pioneering smart fortwo was the first production vehicle to use full exterior body panels injection molded from polypropelene. Borealis developed the PP-based TPO compound, Daplen ED230HP, especially for the small car. The changeable panels contribute to a 15% overall vehicle weight reduction vs. the PC/ PBT panels that they replaced. Colors are molded in, and only clear coat paint needs to be applied to the panels, which are fully recyclable. Another Borealis formulation, Daplen EE103AE, a high melt flow rate TPO with excellent scratch reistance and the ability to achieve uniform thickness over a large surface area, was used on the large bumpers and dashboard of the FIAT 500, named 2008 Car of the Year in Europe. The material provided a Class A surface and good paintability.

New TPO grades suitable for automotive exterior panels, bumper facias, and other large parts have been introduced by Elastocon TPE Technologies. The Elastocon SMR series of thermoplastic olefins is said to provide high impact resistance, excellent colorability, and high gloss with scratch and mar resistance. Cold weather impact resistance is rated at -30°F (-34.4C). Available in a wide range of Shore D hardnesses, the material is supplied for compounding and as ready-to-use pellets.

Body panels on Hyundai's i-mode concept are coated with a new “self-healing,” two-component PUR clearcoat from Bayer MaterialScience. The coating system was developed to provide “extreme scratch resistance and self-healing properties” to the vehicle's exterior, says BMS . Thanks to a combination of new Desmodur® XP2679 polyisocyanates and Desmophen® polyols, scratches are said to simply “melt away” under the influence of the sun's heat. The coatings are durable, fast-curing, and meet VOC regulations. In joint tests conducted by BMS and Ford, the polyurethane system took three times more force to fracture than a control OEM clearcoat, and it showed more scratch depth recovery vs. the control clearcoat.

General Motors has been a pioneer in the use of plastics and composites in automotive applications. A composite step-assist on the 2007 Trailblazer/Envoy SUVs won the Body Exterior award in SPE Automotive Division's 2007 Innovation Awards last November. The one-piece running board, injection molded of Myplas 40 long-glass reinforced polypropylene from Magna Decoma's Mytox Division, replaced a 5-piece steel and plastic assembly, reducing weight by 50% and saving $19 per vehicle.

GM is working toward bringing the Chevrolet Volt hybrid concept to production, putting it through its paces in wind-tunnel testing to optimize aerodynamics, a key to fuel-efficient design. Introduced last year, the Volt features body panels, doors, and a hood molded of SABIC high-performance thermoplastic composites and glazing of Lexan GLX.

No-Paint Options

In a presentation at ANTEC 2008, researchers with Solvay Engineered Polymers discussed the recent commercialization of INDURE® X-76, a high-gloss, molded-in-color (MIC) engineered polyolefin material. The material was specified for exterior trim on the Ford F-250. MIC engineered polyolefin alloys have been rapidly gaining acceptance in the automotive industry as an alternative to painted parts. The parts perform in a manner similar to painted parts, while providing opportunities for significant cost reduction by replacing a painting system, as well as environmental benefits, notes Solvay. Surface durability, as measured by scratch and mar resistance testing, is not compromised by using MIC engineered polyolefins, and EPOs have also been shown to exhibit excellent weatherability. Other applications under consideration are fascia components and skid plates.

Another ANTEC 2008 presentation focused on MIC TPO materials for high-gloss, Class A exterior parts. Advanced Composites Inc. ( ACP ) has developed ADX -7000, which is said to offer excellent stiffness, impact resistance, UV stability, and scratch and mar resistance. The material has physical properties comparable to bumper fascia materials and appearance characteristics similar to exterior paint, relates ACP . By eliminating the painting step, the company estimates that cost savings of roughly 25%, as much as $20 per vehicle, are possible. Other benefits include elimination of VOC emissions and part weight reduction. Target applications are rocker panels, wheel flares, body claddings, and bumper fascias.

Another alternative to painting is the application of paint film to molded parts. A product designed to replace chrome plating was recognized by the Plastics Environmental Division of SPE at the 2008 Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC). Soliant LLC, a leading supplier of paint films, was awarded a 2008 GPEC Achievement Award for Enabling Technologies in Processes and Procedures for the development of Fluorex® “bright film,” a sustainable, recyclable alternative to chrome plating. The film, which can be used on many plastic substrates, eliminates the use of plating chemicals and processes, provides excellent impact performance, and offers weight savings.

SABIC offers a chrome plateable Cycoloy portfolio, an amorphous family of PC/ ABS blends that are said to be excellent candidates for chrome-plated applications that require stiffness, impact resistance, and processability. The speciality grade offers superior adhesion to the metal layers. Sabic recently announced the development of the Expression 2009 palette of colors and special effects in its Visualfx® line of resins for interior applications. Translucent and transparent resins, paired with underlying textures and patterns in two-shot molding techniques, can be used to add visual interest to steering wheels, door trim, consoles and other interior components.

Plastics in the Interior

An interior lighting application developed by Delphi Electronics & Safety for the Chevrolet Tahoe was the Grand Award winner in the SPE Automotive Division's 2007 Innovation Awards. The patented system produces colored interior backlighting via LED lights fed through plastic light-distribution pipes. The use of color-converting translucent plastic and a unique light delivery system creates custom color backlighting with lower-cost, off-the-shelf blue LEDs, which absorb one color and emit another, rather than by using more expensive custom-colored LEDs.

The vehicle's audio system is illuminated, and the controls on the instrument panel are highlighted by the lighting application, which was also named winner of the Materials award category. Materials were from BASF, RTP Company, and Bayer Material Science, which supplied Makrolon® 2405 PC resin to mold control knobs, buttons and backlit plates. BMS also recently introduced a new grade, Makrolon LED2245, with improved thermal resistance, low haze, and high light transmittance specifically for high-brightness LED applications.

Soft-feel coatings applied to many of the molded controls and panels on the interior of the Hyundai i-mode are based on a new generation of high-grade coating materials in BMS Bayhydrol® and Bayhydur® polyurethane dispersion series. Providing a soft, warm feel to the components, the coatings are waterborne and environmentally friendly.

A styrenic polymer foam from Dow Automotive called Impaxx® earned a 2008 Automotive News PACE Award. Impaxx foam, which is 50% lighter than polyurethane and polypropylene, is well suited for headrests, headliners, roof pillar trim, door panels and instrument panels. Foam parts can be made in prototype form rapidly and cheaply, and identical parts can then be produced without tooling, notes Dow Automotive. The foam enables automakers to meet European and North American head, side, and frontal impact standards.

Ford Motor Company and Lear Corporation won a 2008 GPEC Achievement Award in the category of Plastic Materials from Renewable Sources and Applications for their development, implementation, and commercialization in production vehicles of the first polyurethane molded-foam seating utilizing polyols made from soy oil, a renewable raw material. The foam was used for the first time in the 2008 Ford Mustang, replacing petroleum-based foam. The 2009 Ford Escape also uses the soy-based seat foam. Ford has licensed Deere & Company and seat maker Sears Manufacturing Company to further develop the soy-based foam for John Deere farming equipment and other applications.

A door trim and hardware module for the Chrysler SUV models won the Body Interior category in the 2007 Innovation Awards. The module, produced by injection molding and the two-shot bolster process, combines all door hardware components and a trim panel for a weight savings of 10% and US $10 to $17 OEM cost savings per vehicle. An extruded seal for door modules on the Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty won in the Chassis/Hardware category. Santoprene® TPE from Advanced Elastomer Systems, an ExxonMobil Chemical affiliate, was used, marking the first time a TPE had been extruded directly onto a door module carrier, providing a 360 ° seal that acts as a water barrier, an acoustic barrier, and seals out dirt and dust. Material costs were reduced 53% and tack/cure time was cut 90%.

Under the Hood

The SPE Automotive Division's 2007 Hall of Fame honor was bestowed on the first plastic radiator end tank, which debuted on the 1982 model year Ford Escort/Mercury Lynx. The category recognizes ground-breaking applications in continuous use for at least 15 years. Molded of DuPont Automotive's Zytel® glass-reinforced nylon 6/6, the component was one of the first major underhood applications for engineering plastics. Objectives for converting the part from aluminum to nylon were parts integration, cost and weight reduction, and equal or better performance.

At ANTEC 2008, Dr. Suresh Shah of Delphi Corp. discussed increasing opportunities for underhood parts that are lightweight, provide system/part cost savings, contribute to higher fuel efficiency, recyclability, and freedom to consolidate parts. Thermoplastics have made significant inroads in valve covers and air-intake manifolds, replacing thermosets in many applications, he observed. He sees a need for high-flow materials with high-temperature capabilities for these parts.

An electronic control module for the 2007 Chrysler Pacifica cross-over vehicle won the Automotive Innovation Award in the Powertrain category. Molded of Tetradur BMC TD455 from BMC Inc., the plastic ETC housing replaces a machined cast-aluminum housing at a weight savings of 28% and cost savings of 18%. It is also said to provide better performance, reducing the potential for ice freeze-up and throttle blade stick.

Lanxess has introduced a new soft PA6 product, Durethan DP BC600 HTS, a non-reinforced material with an elasticity modulus of only about 350 MPa (conditioned). It is said to be well suited for underhood applications such as charge air tubes produced with suction blow technology and parison manipulation. The single material solution is far more cost-effective than sequentially coextruding two polyamides of different hardness, says Lanxess.

Resisting High Heat

A new grade of PA46 for high-temperature underhood applications has been introduced by DSM Engineering Plastics. Stanyl® Diablo OCD2100 is said to extend the functional life of components well beyond the limits of other high-temperature polyamides. By limiting thermal oxidative breakdown, the tough, grease- and oil-resistant material can withstand more than 3,000 hours of exposure to up to 230°C with less than 15% loss in mechanical properties, relates DSM. Stanyl Diablo outperforms current high-heat resins in high-temperature stability as well as weldability and weld strength, the company says, noting that it expands metal replacement options under the hood and offers a lower-cost and easier-processing alternative to specialty materials such as PPS .

The first nylon 4T has been introduced by DSM Engineering Plastics for automotive underhood and other high-temperature applications. The new polyamide reportedly offers improved flow and high-temperature performance compared to other nylons, compatibility with lead-free soldering, high stiffness and mechanical strength at high temperatures, improved dimensional stability, chemical resistance, high melting point, and good flow with a wide processing window, as well as reduced moisture absorption. DSM has applied for patents for the new polymer.  

Tier One suppliers of underhood components for two Nissan vehicles sold in Europe have selected DuPont high performance polymers to replace aluminum, reducing production costs and weight. DuPont™ Minlon® nylon-66 is being used to produce the rocker cover of a 2.5 liter turbo diesel engine, while DuPont Zytel® nylon resin is used for the front cover. The rocker cover, which seals and protects the valve control system, is molded from a mineral-filled and glass-fiber-reinforced grade of Minlon, which is said to provide stiffness, strength, low-warpage, and dimensional stability. For the engine front cover, a 30% glass-fiber-reinforced grade of Zytel provides the necessary mechanical strength to withstand the assembly process (bolting it to the engine) and day-to-day vibrations, notes DuPont.

BASF has developed a new specialty polyamide for overmolding electrical and electronic components with a tight seal to reduce the risk of failure due to contact with water, oil, or gas. The new material, Ultramid® Seal-Fit, a transparent, non-reinforced PA, has been developed for tight overmolding as an alternative to complicated sealing methods involving silicone adhesives, hot melts, impregnation, or pre-coating of metal. The new material is targeted for applications such as transmission and brake controls, sensors, and plug-in connectors.

Structural Applications

A front end carrier for Volkswagen models supplied by Aksys de Mexico won the Automotive Division's Innovation Award in the Process/Assembly/Enabling Technology category. The large component was molded using Basell Polyolefin resin and OwensCorning long glass fibers in a process which incorporated in-line compounding (ILC) using a twin-screw extruder. ILC provided considerable cost and weight savings vs. conventional injection and GMT composites, related VW.

A new polyurethane system, BaySafe® ST, has been introduced by BMS to foam-fill the cavities of metal bodywork frame components such as side members, pillars, and rocker panels. The foam reinforces the metal structures, increasing passive safety. Metal stampings can also be made of thinner steel, as a result, reducing weight.

SymaLITE®, a polypropylene-based, glass-filled composite from Quadrant Plastic Composites, has been specified by German Tier One supplier Takeo GmbH Automotive Systems for underbody shields for BMW. The lightweight panels cover nearly the entire underside of the vehicle and are said to provide optimized aerodynamics for improved handling and fuel efficiency as well as enhanced mechanical and acoustical performance. Pre-oriented glass fibers of SymaLITE allow good loft behavior during the heating and molding process, enabling expansion of up to six times the original thickness of the material, while increasing bending stiffness, relates Quadrant.

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Metal Over Plastic Offers New Benefits

DuPont Engineering Polymers and several alliance partners have developed an innovative polymer/metal hybrid technology that can be used to manufacture lightweight components with the strength and stiffness of metal, combined with the design flexibility of high-performance thermoplastics.

The nanocrystalline metal/polymer hybrid technology, called MetaFuse™, employs a proprietary deposition process that applies a thin, ultra-high-strength metal layer over components molded of DuPont Engineering Polymers to create lightweight components in complex shapes with the stiffness of magnesium or aluminum – and higher strength.

Patented technology is used to produce nanocrystalline metals with an average grain size of 15-100 nm or about 1,000 times smaller than conventional metals and up to three times stronger than typical steels or decorative nickel-chrome, relates DuPont. The high strength enables the application of thin (25 to 200 microns) layers to plastic surfaces to create hybrids with structural properties that typical metal deposition techniques such as electroplating cannot achieve.

Metal can be placed in optimum locations to increase stiffness. For bending loads, the placement of the nanometal coating is most beneficial at the outermost edges of the part, where maximum tensile and compressive stresses are experienced. The bending stiffness, torsional stiffness, and strength of the part all increase, explains DuPont.

MetaFuse technology has been shown to improve flexural modulus and impact strength two to four times that of plastic alone; and the nanometal/plastic hybrid components are said to maintain excellent structural properties in temperature ranges where polymers alone exhibit significant loss in properties. Target applications include underhood components such as engine oil pans, cylinder head covers, transmission housings and components, electrical housings and covers, and steering and suspension components.

[SIDEBAR – with photo Wolverine ATV.tif]

Thermoformed ATV Cab Replaces Stamped Metal

A thermoforming grade of Sequel® E3000 engineered polyolefin from LyondellBasell Advanced Polyolefins USA has replaced stamped metal in the cab of the Wolverine All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), a tracked vehicle designed for rugged industrial and military uses.

Built by a business unit of sheet-metal fabricator Dumur Industries in White City , Saskatchewan , Canada , the new cab is larger yet lighter than the metal cab, and it costs less to produce. Pre-coloring plastic eliminates the need for painting and the associated VOC emissions.

Sequel E3000, a material designed to be extruded as sheetstock for thermoforming applications, provides a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion for dimensional stability, excellent impact resistance, low-temperature ductility, colorability, and integral UV resistance, relates LyondellBasell. The material is said to be inherently weatherable and exhibits ductility at temperatures as low as -30°C.

[SIDEBAR]

Upcoming Automotive Conferences & Events

The SPE Automotive Division's annual Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition is scheduled for Sept. 16-18 at the MSU Management Education Center , Troy , Michigan ( USA ). Sessions will focus on a broad range of topics, including thermoset and thermoplastic composites, bio and natural fibers, nanocomposites, enabling technologies, prototyping, and testing. For more information and to register, visit www.speautomotive.com or call Pat Levine at 248-244-8893 in Detroit .

The SPE Automotive TPO Global Conference is scheduled for Oct 5-8 at the Best Western Sterling Inn, Sterling Heights , Michigan ( USA ). Last year's conference attracted 410 professionals, sharing leading-edge polymer and application technologies. For more information and to register, call Pat Levine at 248-244-8993.

The 38 th annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition and Gala will be held in November at the Burton Manor, Livonia , Michigan . Contact Pat Levine for dates and registration information. The event is the largest competition of its kind in the world and the oldest recognition event in the automotive and plastics industries.

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