Finalists named for 2017 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards

The Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Division has selected the finalists for its 2017 Automotive Innovation Awards. Nine category winners and one grand winner will be announced during the society's 47th annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala Nov. 8 at Burton Manor in Livonia, Mich.

The nominated parts are on vehicle models in the 2016-18 calendar years. The award goes to the automaker.

This year's finalists are:

Aftermarket

• General Motors Co. for a backlit chrome emblem on the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro sports car and the Silverado and Colorado pickups. Production requires the combination of a two-shot overmolded lens and two-shot light guide along with laser welding in one package. Windsor Mold Group and its automotive components division Emerick Plastics supply the system and tooling, using Sabic's Lexan polycarbonate and Arkema Inc.'s Plexiglas acrylic material.

• GM for the twin-sheet thermoformed integrated floor bedliner divider on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado pickup. PendaForm Corp. supplies the system and tooling, using scratch-resistant thermoplastic polyolefin material from A. Schulman Inc.

Body Exterior

• Ford Motor Co. for a structural front-end module with integrated loose-layer construction on the 2018 Expedition. The automaker said the part is "possibly the largest" two-shot injection molded module in production today. Magna International Inc. supplies the system, with glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene material from Celanese Corp. Integrity Tool & Mold Inc. supplies the tooling.

• GM for the headlamp light curtain on the 2016 Cadillac CT6 sedan. Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. supplies the system. Evonik Cyro LLC supplies the clear acrylic material, which features light-scattering properties for a larger illuminated area and better visibility.

• GM for the D-Optic LED headlamp on the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The headlamp features three large, vertically integrated lenses alongside six individual compact lenses, which are single-shot thick molded. Magna International Inc. supplies the system, using Arkema Inc.'s high-temperature Plexiglas acrylic material.

Body Interior

• GM for the thin-wall floor console carrier on the 2017 Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse. The floor console carrier has a wall thickness of 2 millimeters and is molded using long glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene from Celanese Corp. GM said this is the first time injection molding has been used to produce this type of component. NYX Inc. supplies the system, and Integrity Tool & Mold Inc. supplies the tooling.

• Hyundai Motor Co. for its real wood interior door garnish on the 2017 Grandeur Hybrid. The door garnish uses cork wood film made with lamination equipment, and the parts are processed with insert injection molding. Hyundai said cork's honeycomb structure offers elasticity, insulation and soundproofing as well as weight reductions and cost savings compared with wood. Seoyon E-Hwa Interior Systems supplies the system and tooling.

• Ford for the multifunctional cargo management deployable shelf on the 2018 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The system, supplied by the Gemini Group's Valley Enterprises Inc., uses injection molding to produce the bins, components and actuation linkages. The cargo management systems are made from LG Chem ABS and Washington Penn Plastics polypropylene materials supplied by Chase Plastics to meet appearance and load requirements. Reliable & Reasonable Tool Service LLC and Buiter Tool & Die Inc. supply the tooling.

• BMW AG for the instrument panel carrier on the 2017 Mini Countryman. The carrier is produced with long glass fiber-reinforced PP, using injection molding and structural chemical foaming with a core-back process to achieve low volatile organic compound emissions. International Automotive Components Group supplies the system, using material from Sabic and tooling from Christian Karl Siebenwurst GmbH & Co KG.

Chassis/Hardware

• Ford for the flexible polyphenylene sulfide fasteners designed for use in high-heat applications on the 2018 F-150. The system is supplied by Lear Corp. HellermannTyton is the processor. Materials are from Celanese Corp.

• Daimler AG for the glass fiber-reinforced nylon engine brackets on the 2017 E-Klasse coupe. The automaker said this is the first time two-cavity tooling was used with a hot runner system and two pressure transducers for each cavity. ElringKlinger AG supplies the system, and Hummel-Formen GmbH supplies the tooling. DowDupont Inc. supplies the material.

• Ford for the plastic clip attachments used to secure the integrated window regulators to the side doors on the 2017 Ford Fiesta. Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG supplies the system. Berlet Mold Manufacturing supplies the tooling. Materials for the plastic clip attachments, which replace metal fasteners and weld nuts, are from Celanese Corp. and BASF Corp.

• GM for the powertrain mounting clevis bracket on the 2017 Cadillac XT5, which the automaker said is the first composite mount designed for a six-cylinder engine. The part offers improved corrosion resistance and can be recycled at end of life. The system was supplied by Hutchinson SA and uses BASF Corp.'s Ultramid material.

Environmental

• Ford for the next-generation sustainable content bio foam used for plastic clip attachments to secure the integrated window regulators on the 2017 Ford Fiesta. Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG supplies the system. A. Raymond sarl supplies the tooling. The nylon material comes from Omni Plastics SpA.

• Ford for the use of soybean oil in slap pads on the 2018 F-150. The automaker said this is the first use of soybean oil to replace up to 40 percent of the petroleum oil used in the natural rubber part. The Tier 1 supplier is Rassini SAB de CV.

• GM for the ultra-capacitor barrier shield on the 2018 Cadillac CTS sedan. The application uses material recycled from tires and plastic caps to make thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) shields that protect the ultra-capacitor from hotter surrounding environments and keep the battery cool. The Tier 1 supplier and processor is GDC Inc., which also provides the tooling. The process requires die cutting, thermoforming and vibration welding.

Materials

• Ford for the A pillar brackets made from recycled carbon fiber-filled PP on the 2018 Explorer, using material from Borealis Compounds Inc. The Tier 1 supplier is Windsor Mold Group.

• Ford for the low-gloss ABS resin used to mold the squeak-resistant instrument panel cluster bezel on the 2016 Mustang. Summit Polymers Inc. is the processor, using material from Techno Polymer Co. Ltd.

• Ford for the bilaminate foil and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) skin used to produce a seamless airbag system on the 2018 EcoSport. The parts are injection molded with in-mold lamination. Faurecia SA supplies the system. GS Engineering & Construction Corp. supplies the tooling. The bilaminate TPO material is from Haartz Corp.

• Ford for the use of a low-friction, modified nylon resin for chair tensioner arms on the F-150 and Mustang. BorgWarner Inc. is the Tier 1 supplier. DSM Functional Materials supplies the modified nylon.

• GM for the grained roof ditch moldings made from vinyl on the 2017 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado. A grain appearance in the extruded parts is achieved with embossing rollers. The parts are scratch- and mark-resistant, weatherable, co-extrudable and can bond to metal. Martinrea International Inc. supplies the system, and Rollstar Metal Forming supplies the tooling. Teknor Apex Co. supplies the coextruded PVC.

Powertrain

• Hyundai for the turbo charger outlet T-joint on the 2018 Genesis G80 and Kia Stinger sedans. The Tier 1 supplier is Hwaseung R&A Co. Ltd., and the processors are SungWoo Industrial Co. and Seji Solotech Inc. DuPont Korea Inc. supplies glass fiber-reinforced, heat-stabilized nylon.

• Mercedes-Benz GmbH for the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic torque tube on the Mercedes AMG GT R sports car. The part is produced using a process that combines resin transfer molding and blow molding. ACE Advanced Composite Engineering GmbH supplies the system, using material from Huntsman Corp.

• Ford for the injection molded transmission baffle on the 2018 Focus. Toledo Molding & Die Inc. is the processor and supplies the tooling. DowDupont Inc. supplies the recyclable thermoplastic elastomer material.

Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies

• Ford for the two-shot interior decoration bezel on the 2018 Fiesta. The 3D decorative effect was achieved using two-shot "reverse" injection molding with polycarbonate and self-colored pigmented ABS. Faurecia Interior Systems is the Tier 1 supplier, using tooling from JP Grosfilley SAS and materials from Lotte Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.

• Ford for the integrated sliding armrest and hinge assembly on the 2017 EcoSport. Faurecia is the Tier 1 supplier. M&N Plastics Inc. is the processor and supplies the tooling. BASF Corp. supplies the glass-filled nylon.

• Volkswagen AG for the torsional welding of PDC sensors to thin-wall fascias on the 2018 Skoda Octavia. Magna International Inc. is the supplier and processor, using Sabic's adjustable TPO material with high melt flow, stiffness and impact. Changzhou Huawei Mold Co. Ltd. supplies the tooling.

Safety

• Ford for the all-plastic hood leveler on the 2018 Lincoln Navigator designed to manage pedestrian hood/head impact to reduce head trauma. MacLean-Fogg Co. and Engineered Plastics Components Inc. supply the systems. Elite Tool & Die Inc. supplies the tooling. DowDupont Inc. and ExxonMobil Chemical Co. supply the materials, including acetal for the snap-in base, nylon for the threaded post and TPE for the overmolded bumper.

• Ford for the third-generation four-way head restraint for whiplash protection on the 2018 F-150. Windsor Machine Group supplies the system. Integrity Tool & Mold Inc. supplies the tooling. Ravago Group supplies the nylon material, which replaces steel in this application.