SPE names Automotive Innovation Awards finalists

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Division has selected finalists for its 2014 Automotive Innovation Awards competition, said by SPE to be the oldest and largest competition of its kind in the world. Category winners and the grand winner will be announced during the Innovation Awards & Gala, to be held on November 12, 2014, in Livonia, Mich. The nominated parts must be on vehicles that are in production during the 2014 calendar year. The award goes to the automaker.

The categories and finalists are:

BODY EXTERIOR

• The sunroof frame for the 2015 Hyundai Motor Group Kia Sorento cross-over utility vehicle, molded by Inalfa Roof Systems Korea, with material supplied by GS Caltex Corp. and tools supplied by Hyundai Motor Group.

• The roof ditch molding for the 2014 Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz C-Class luxury sedan, molded by Kunststoff-Technik Scherer & Trier GmbH & Co. KG, with material from Karl Wörwag Lack- und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG and tooling from Kunststoff-Technik Scherer & Trier GmbH & Co. KG.

• The transparent plastic fin for the 2014 General Motors Co. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z06 sports car, molded by 3-Dimensional Services Group, with material supplied by SABIC and tooling also from 3-Dimensional Services Group.

• The light element for articulating assist setup for the 2015 General Motors Co. Cadillac Escalade sport-utility vehicle, supplied by Canada’s Magna International Inc. using tooling from 3M Company.

• The trunk lid for the 2014 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Nissan GT-R sports car. Supplied by Chiyoda Manufacturing Corp. and Challenge Co. Ltd., the material is from Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd., and the toolmaker is Yasuda Moldtec Inc.

• A belly pan with multiple airdam options for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Mustang sports car, supplied by US Farathane Corp., with material from KW Plastics.

BODY INTERIOR

• A door-trim local reinforcement with tapes for the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford Transit Courier van. The part is supplied by Fompak, using material from Celanese and tooling from Zimmermann.

• An IP top storage bin and device dock for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Figo subcompact car, supplied by Mitchell Plastics, and using material from SABIC, Celanese, and BASF.

• A temperature averaging discharge sensor on the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford Fusion mid-size car. The part is supplied by Epcos Inc. and TDK-EPC AG & Co. KG, with material from PolyOne and tooling from TDK-EPC AG & Co. KG.

• A second-row seat back for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car, supplied by Continental Structural Plastics Inc., with material from Hanwha L&C and tooling by Century Tool & Gauge.

CHASSIS/HARDWARE 

• A flush glass power backlite for the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford F-150 pickup. The part is supplied by Magna International Inc.’s engineered glass division.

• A seamless flipper window for the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford Transit van, also supplied by Magna’s engineered glass division.

• A plastic reinforcement for steel truck bumpers on the 2014 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, supplied by Flex-N-Gate Corp., using material from SABIC and tooling from Integrity Tool & Mold Inc.

• A TPE jounce bumper for the 2015 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Fiat Punto supermini car, supplied by Insit, using material from DuPont Automotive.

• A co-extruded thermoplastic coolant tube on the 2015 Renault Group Renault Twingo city car. Supplied by Tristone Flowtech, the part is also made from material from DuPont Automotive.

ENVIRONMENTAL 

• A recycled CMS gap hinder for the 2013 Ford Motor Co. Ford Escape CUV. The part is supplied by S Group Automotive, with material from NWP Inc. and tooling from Precision Compression Mold.

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

• Lightweight material with unique synthetic and bio-fibres for rear decklid appliqué bracket on the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car. Parts are supplied by Tribar Manufacturing LLC, with material supplied by Ford and Amplas Compounding Inc.

MATERIALS 

• A bio-TPO sheet for interior trim for the 2014 Hyundai Motor Group Kia Soul electric vehicle, supplied by Hyundai Mobis, with material from LG Hausys.

• Metallic appearance finish panels for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mondeo sedan. Supplied by International Automotive Components Group and Key Plastics Löhne GmbH, the parts are made from materials from Samsung Chemical and tooling from Michael Tool & Mold Ltd.

• An A-gloss grille mesh for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Taurus SHO sedan, supplied by Flex-N-Gate Corp. and SRG Global Inc., with material from SABIC.

• Low-squeak ABS and ABS/PC for the interiors of the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford Taurus sedan. The parts are supplied by Summit Polymers Inc., with material from Techno Polymer America Inc.

• A headrest guide sleeve for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Fusion mid-size car, supplied by Lear Corp. and ITW Deltar. The material is from Celanese.

POWERTRAIN

• A charge air cooler duct and resonator for the 2014 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Jeep Cherokee SUV, supplied by Hutchinson FTS, with material from DSM Engineering Plastics and tooling also from Hutchinson FTS.

• A crankshaft cover with an integrated oil seal for the 2014 Volkswagen AG MDB engine platform. Supplied by Kaco GmbH + Co. KG and Engel Austria GmbH, the parts are molded from material from DSM Engineering Plastics and tooling supplied by Elmet GmbH.

• A shaker scoop for the 2014 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Dodge Challenger Shaker sports car. The part is supplied by North American Assembly/Molding Technologies, with material from Magna International Inc. and tooling from Penco Tool Inc.

• A high-load, high-shear geared axial polymer thrust bearing for the 2014 General Motors Co. Cadillac ATS sports sedan, the Chevrolet Corvette sports car, and the Silverado pickup. The parts are supplied by General Motors Co. and Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, using material from Solvay Specialty Polymers and tooling also by Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies.

PROCESS/ASSEMBLY/ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

• A metallic console rail for the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford Edge CUV, supplied by Johnson Controls Inc. and DT Manufacturing Co., with material from Celanese and tooling by Excel Global.

• A high-gloss entertainment system bezel for the 2013 Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, supplied by Johnson Controls Inc., Groupe Plastivaloire, and Trexel Inc. Material is from Bayer MaterialScience and tooling also from Groupe Plastivaloire.

• A louvered side window for the 2014 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang 50th-anniversary edition sports car. Supplied by the engineered glass division of Magna International Inc., the material is from DSM Engineering Plastics.

• A single-collimator molded LED lens for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford F-150 pickup, the part is supplied by Ventra Plastics, a division of Ventra Group Inc.; Flex-N-Gate Corp.; and DBM Reflex. The material is from Bayer MaterialScience and the tooling supplied by DBM Reflex.

SAFETY 

• An active glove box for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car. Supplied by Faurecia, the part is molded with materials from Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. and Advanced Composites Inc., and tooling
  supplied by Extol Inc.

• A blind-spot information system tail lamp for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford F-150 pickup. The supplier is Flex-N-Gate Corp., with material from Arkema Group and tooling supplied by Ventra Sandusky LLC.

• A split-link inertial safety device for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Transit van. The part is supplied by the closures division of Magna International Inc., with material from DuPont Automotive.

• A front-end energy absorber for the 2015 Ford Motor Co. Ford Mustang sports car. Supplied by Netshape International LLC and Shape Corp., the part material is from LyondellBasell Industries LLC.