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By the year 2000, many automotive industry followers predict at least 50 percent of all automotive air intake manifolds will be made of nylon materials. As nylon air intake manifolds continue to grow in automotive applications, trends in assembly techniques and systems integration will affect material performance requirements and final material selection. The trend toward higher engine temperatures will have a profound impact on the performance requirements for air intake manifolds. Keeping these trends in mind, this paper will examine several nylon materials in relation to present and future performance requirements for air intake manifolds.

As we move toward the year 2000, plastic components are finding more and more applications under the hood of automobiles. As materials such as nylon continue to proliferate in the engine compartment, automotive designers must begin to analyze and optimize the noise characteristics associated with the use of these materials. For example, many valve covers, radiator end tanks and air intake manifolds are now constructed of nylon materials. Fueled by the lighter weights and lower costs associated with nylon versus traditional aluminum materials, the industry expects to see more nylon under the hood than ever before. But the same characteristics that make nylon attractive, light weight and low mass, provide some unique challenges in managing noise. The lighter weights and lower densities of nylon do not “mask” sounds as well as heavier, denser materials such as aluminum.

A new composite thermoplastic air intake manifold has been developed and introduced into high volume production that incorporates several novel approaches to provide substantial performance, emissions and cost savings over other intake manifold construction techniques. These approaches include: interlocking of pieces to allow traditional low cost injection molding; integration of gaskets in assembly; clock-and-lock attachment of EGR, PCV, and vacuum source adapters; and performance and service advantages of the thermoplastic material usage.