Automotive Design & Production

Hot Air

During the final week of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Zogby Interactive released a survey with results that show that when it comes to the subject of climate change, plenty of Americans are, at most, lukewarm. That is, 49% of those surveyed indicate that they are only slightly or not at all concerned about climate change, which is up from a 2007 poll that had the number at 39%. In a world where there is increasing demand for vehicles that are large and powerful and where th...

Oem-Supplier Relations: 2009 & Beyond

In the 12 years since IRN Inc began surveying the supply base on the dynamics of price reduction requests, the results have shown a pattern of intensifying pressure from customers on their suppliers during the period from 1997-2003, followed by diminishing demands from 2003-2009. Suppliers have indicated by their reactions that there is no more fat to cut or low-hanging fruit to harvest. The 2009 survey respondents reported a level of concession that was basically flat with the prior survey, ...

Looking Back & Ahead

One can't miss the opportunity to look forward and talk about what to expect in 2010 and beyond. The economy is showing a slight rebound but slower than desired. Auto sales in the last quarter of 2009 showed signs of hope that people are buying cars and trucks again. For each OEM the opportunity to capitalize on these consumers is there. The supplier community did remarkably well in 2009 as many companies hunkered down and reduced costs in order to survive as there were 30%-70% reductions in ...

Plastics & the Total Materials Matrix

When it comes to interiors, plastics have a solid position. Ticona, for example, has just released in the North American market new grades of a PP that is reinforced with long glass fibers. But one of the big hurdles to greater plastics deployment -- even in the interior -- is, says Paul Spevetz, product marketing manager, Automotive Interior/Exterior for Ticona Engineering Polymers, the fact that there is a great deal of "accumulated knowledge and lessons learned" among automotive product an...

Quick Take: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is reviewed.

Re: Research

Ford's Pursuit of Bio-Based Plastics

The latest in Ford's pursuit of material improvements takes the form of a polypropylene reinforced with 20% wheat straw. Yes, the stuff that's left over after wheat is harvested. Ellen Lee, a technical expert at Ford's Plastic Research, points out that the material has no nutritional value. Within about a year-and-a-half, the material went from a demonstration to a production application, the storage bins for the 2010 Ford Flex. One material that has been used for reinforcement is nanoclay, w...

Better Diesel Pistons

The implications of improving the fuel economy in diesel engines while, at the same time, reducing CO2 emissions, are rather significant, particularly as vehicle manufacturers are reducing the size of their diesels for both truck and car applications. Realize that while gasoline engines are spark-ignition, diesel engines are compression-ignition, meaning that the pressure -- and consequent heat -- is such that the fuel explodes without the spark. But heat isn't the only issue. Of greater conc...

The Acura Zdx: A Vehicle Apart

The Acura ZDX is reviewed.

Tooling Topic

2010 Lexus Gx 460

The 2010 Lexus GX 460 is reviewed.