Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • CEO Issue
    • Diversity
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2022 winners
    • Processor of the Year
    • Rising Stars
    • Women Breaking the Mold
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • BRICS and Plastics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
    • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Resin Prices
    • All Resins
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
March 08, 1999 01:00 AM

SIEMENS EXPANDING MANIFOLD PRODUCTION

Joseph Pryweller PLASTICS NEWS STAFF
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    DETROIT — Siemens Automotive Corp. is spending more than $10 million at a Canadian plant to make one of the world's largest plastic air-intake manifolds and plans to spend millions more to expand an Ohio manifold facility.

    The auto supplier, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., is stepping up its investment in lost-core and vibration-welded manifolds, said David Geran, director of business development for Siemens powertrain air-induction division.

    Geran discussed the expansion — cementing the company's standing as North America's largest producer of plastic manifolds — at an interview during SAE '99, held March 1-4 in Detroit.

    Most new automotive programs in North America have made the switch from aluminum to plastic manifolds, Geran said. Today, about 35 percent of North American manifolds are made from plastic, but the number is rising.

    Currently, two plastic processes vie for automakers' attention. Lost-core manifolds are made by melting out a tin-bismuth core inside an injection molded, nylon 6/6 manifold. Vibration-welded manifolds fuse together two halves of an injection molded, nylon shell.

    ``In my opinion, you'll see a renaissance in the lost-core process,'' Geran said. ``We have the ability to integrate electronics and other parts into a lost-core manifold. Not just any shoot-and-ship molder can play that game.''

    The more complex lost-core method commonly is used for unusual shapes and integrating parts. Both of those concepts came into play when Siemens landed a major new contract in 1997 with General Motors Corp.

    In September, GM began installing the large-sized manifolds in its redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks. The trucks are powered by either 4.8-, 5.3- or 6-liter engines that are larger than those used on previous truck versions.

    The trucks are GM's most popular vehicles. GM expects to sell more than 800,000 in 1999.

    The manifold for the larger, Generation III engine weighs 11 pounds, compared to the 4-5 pounds for a typical lost-core manifold. The tin-bismuth core, shuffled to the production line by robots, weighs more than 160 pounds.

    Siemens' 130,000-square-foot Windsor plant is adding three new lost-core manufacturing cells for the new business, Geran said. Each cell consists of two injection presses with clamping forces of 1,000 tons.

    The firm installed four of the six horizontal presses recently, and plans to install the other two later this year, Geran said.

    Siemens also brought in resin supplier DuPont Automotive of Troy, Mich., to assist with engineering. DuPont set up offices at the Windsor plant, where the company did computer-aided air-flow testing and helped design a smooth interior finish to prevent turbulent air distribution.

    ``Basically, the more air that can be sent to the engine, the better the engine will perform,'' said H.C. Lee, a DuPont account and development program manager who works from the Siemens plant.

    The manifold also includes an integrated resonator molded from nylon, Geran said. Eventually, Siemens would like to add other elements, including an air cleaner and throttle body housing, he said.

    With the new pickup-truck work, the Windsor plant will produce more than 2 million manifolds this year, Geran said. In addition to the new equipment, the plant has six more injection presses with clamping forces of 650-1,000 tons.

    The company's plans at its Fort Shawnee, Ohio, manifold plant are more tentative. The plant opened in September 1997, primarily to assemble the integrated air-fuel modules.

    Since then, Siemens gained four new programs to make welded manifolds in North America and Europe over the next several years, said Steve Shea, plant manager at Fort Shawnee.

    Although Siemens' board of directors has yet to approve an expansion, the company would like to expand the plant size from 42,000 square feet to as much as 56,000 square feet.

    The project would include eight new injection presses, each with 1,000 tons of clamping force. Employment would increase from about 81 to between 120 and 140 by the year 2001, Shea said.

    Siemens has not determined the cost or timetable for the project, Shea said. Its board of directors will consider the plan in late March, he added.

    Siemens Automotive is a subsidiary of Siemens AG of Munich, Germany.

    The automotive group recorded about $3.02 million in 1998 sales.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Hillenbrand cites recycling as 'strategic growth' area with Herbold acquisition
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    California passes strictest plastics law in US, with EPR and recycling targets
    2
    PS prices jump in June, more increases on horizon
    3
    Hillenbrand makes another deal in plastics machinery
    4
    IRS provides guidance for how excise taxes will impact resin pricing
    5
    Eastman eyes ‘several options' for chemical recycling plant sites
    SIGN UP FOR TO RECEIVE THESE EMAILS AND ENEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Tire Business
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • CEO Issue
        • Diversity
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2022 winners
        • Processor of the Year
        • Rising Stars
        • Women Breaking the Mold
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • BRICS and Plastics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
        • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Resin Prices
      • All Resins
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified