Traverse City, Mich. — Asahi Kasei Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. joined forces on a reinforced nylon brake pedal part that took home a top prize for lightweighting.
The brake pedal bracket made for Mazda using glass-reinforced nylon 6/6 was an 83 percent weight reduction compared to previous versions, the companies said.
The two Japan-based firms were one of three winners in the Enabling Technologies category in the Altair Enlighten awards, presented July 30 at the Center for Autmotive Research's Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.
Judges said the companies had to “withdraw from conventional thinking” and redesign the bracket to remove unneeded metal parts by using nylon.
The category win was shared with Sika Automotive Corp.'s lightweight mult-layer sound absorbing system and United State Steal Corp.'s high strength steel, used for pickup truck beds.
The top winner for full vehicles was General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Silverado, which trimmed 450 pounds compared to previous models. American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. won the Future of Lightweighting category with its Quantum driveline architecture.
