SPE names Automotive Innovation Award winners

The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has announced the award winners of its Automotive Innovation Awards Competition – chief among them the an active glove box application on the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car, which won the prestigious Grand Award and also the Safety award.

The winners were announced at the SPE’s 44^th Automotive Innovation Awards Gala held at Burton Manor in Livonia, Mich., on November 11.

By award category, the winners are:

BODY EXTERIOR

A panoramic sunroof frame on the 2015 Hyundai Motor Group Kia Sorento cross-over utility vehicle. The tier supplier and processor is Inalfa Roof Systems Korea, the material supplier is GS Caltex Corp., and the toolmaker is Hyundai Motor Group.

BODY INTERIOR

A second-row seat back for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car. The part is manufactured by Continental Structural Plastics Inc., the material supplier is Hanwha L&C, and the toolmaker is Century Tool & Gage.

CHASSIS & HARDWARE

A co-extruded thermoplastic coolant tube for the 2015 Renault Group Renault Twingo city car. The part is manufactured by Tristone Flowtech, from material supplied by DuPont Automotive.

ENVIRONMENTAL

A cellulose fibre composite console armrest for the 2013 Ford Motor Co. Lincoln MKX luxury CUV. The part is made by Johnson Controls Inc., from material supplied by Weyerhaeuser NR.

MATERIALS

Metallic-appearance finish panels for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mondeo sedan. The panels are supplied by International Automotive Components Group (IAC) and Key Plastics Löhne GmbH. The material supplier is Samsung Chemical and the toolmaker is Michael Tool & Mold Ltd.

POWERTRAIN

A crankshaft cover with integrated oil seal for the 2014 Volkswagen AG MDB engine platform. The tier supplier and processor is Kaco GmbH + Co. KG and Engel Austria GmbH, the material supplier is DSM Engineering Plastics B.V., and the toolmaker is Elmet GmbH.

PROCESS, ASSEMBLY & ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

A single-collimator molded LED lens for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford F-150 pickup. The tier supplier and processor is Ventra Plastics Div. of Ventra Group Inc., Flex-N-Gate Corp., and DBM Reflex; the material supplier is Bayer MaterialScience; and the toolmaker is DBM Reflex.

SAFETY AND GRAND AWARD WINNER

An active glove box for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car. The tier supplier and processor is Faurecia, the material supplier is Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. & Advanced Composites Inc., and the toolmaker is Extol Inc. Said to an industry-first, the application integrates an injection molded knee airbag with the glove-box door, reducing weight by 65 per cent and space by 75 per cent compared to traditional knee airbags plus glove-box doors. “Instead of a woven textile airbag, a special bladder is hot-plate welded to the door and then checked with a hydrostatic burst tester to ensure the strength of the resulting hermetic seal,” SPE said. “This saves between US$5 and US$10 per car while providing consumers with more interior space and decreasing vehicle mass for better fuel efficiency.”