Cheaper, Lighter Sunroof Design Exploits Multiple Benefits of Plastics
Canadian Plastics
A sunroof system with a plastic belt drive delivers 40% cost savings, reduces component weight 45% and cuts parts by 33% due to a unique design using a variety of DuPont materials.This patented design...
A sunroof system with a plastic belt drive delivers 40% cost savings, reduces component weight 45% and cuts parts by 33% due to a unique design using a variety of DuPont materials.
This patented design, from Aisin World Corp. of America, appears on the Toyota Opa in 2003 and received an achievement award from the SPE Automotive Division Innovation Awards program.
The new Aisin system uses a Hytrel polyester elastomer belt with molded-in teeth to engage a drive gear made of Delrin acetal, reducing friction and noise for much smoother operation than traditional metal cable and steel gear-based systems. Hytrel increases drive belt durability through exceptional wear resistance and flexibility combined with high strength and dimensional stability, even when exposed to moisture and temperatures over 120C. Delrin and Hytrel lower friction, helping to increase the transmission efficiency of torque by 30 percent, making it possible to use a more compact, lightweight electric motor.
The Aisin design significantly reduces system complexity by integrating the front shoe of Rynite PET and the functional slider bracket of mineral and glass-reinforced Zytel high-performance PPA. This eliminates several heavier metal components that require riveting for assembly.
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