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This paper presents information on new technology which has made the Composite Coil Spring a practical Reality. The light weight and low cost nature of this novel component presents very interesting possibilities for reducing the weight of automotive models. The experimentation with composite materials which was focused on developing practical components with viable manufacturing methods began in our company 1983. The first episode was with very strong torsion members for truck applications. This was followed by development of a unique “C” spring design in 1993 (reported in SAE paper 2000-01-0100). This paper deals with the new successor to these earlier designs, the “Composite Coil Spring”. This paper identifies the manufacturing process that has been developed and patented to provide composite Coil springs cost effectively. The paper also presents the physical properties of the springs which are made from thermoset Epoxy, and E type glass fibers.

This paper presents information on new technology which has made aerodynamic rotating shroud composite cooling fans a practical reality. This paper will describe the design methodology which creates an aerodynamic blade for just the required performance of the system. The design tool has shown to more than 90% accurate for air flow performance in lab validation tests. This paper describes applying this fan matching software to an application involving railroad switcher locomotives. The new fans are compared to the predecessor fans, and the notable performance improvement is shown. The heavy demand on cooling systems now and in the future will find a very attractive solution in the high performance low noise rotating shroud composite fan system.