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Composite manufacturing in the automotive industry is striving for short cycle times to be competitive with conventional manufacturing methods, while enabling significant weight reductions. High Pressure Resin Transfer Molding (HP-RTM) is becoming one of the processes of choice for composite applications due to its ability to enable high speed part production. In this regard, researchers need to offer differentiated ultra-fast curing resin systems for carbon fiber composites for automotive structural and nonstructural applications to enable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to meet their large volume lightweight targets in concert with present day low-carbon footprint legislations. In order to expand applications for composites in the automotive industry it is necessary to optimize all aspects of the production cycle using predictive modeling.

A catalyzed ceramic filter has been used on diesel engines for diesel particulate matter emission control. A key design criteria for a diesel particulate filter is to maximize DPF performance, i.e. low back pressure and compact size as well as near continuous regeneration operation. Based upon the modeling and deep understanding of material properties, a DPF system design has been successfully applied on a high performance diesel engine exhaust system, such as the Audi R10 TDI, the first diesel racing car that won the most prestigious endurance race in the world: the 24 hours of Le Mans in both 2006 and 2007. The design concept can be used for other materials and applications

Foams and Thermoplastics are materials that have an increasing use to obtain safer and lighter cars. Utilizing the integration potential of plastics, considerable cost efficiencies are obtained. A key element is that predictive modelling is used to achieve optimum system solutions. In this paper both foams and plastic solutions are presented in different applications in the car providing energy-absorbing capabilities and therefore enhancing the safety performance. The first area is that of structural foams in the car body cavities to enhance crash performance. The second area concerns integrated thermoplastic structures in the interior for absorbing impact energy while providing aesthetics and other functionality. The third is that of innovative thermoplastic extruded foam with superior energy efficiency characteristics, applied in head impact environment in the interior of the car as well as potentially in pedestrian safety solutions.

Since their introduction in automobiles, polymeric materials have enabled designers and engineers to differentiate products based on performance attributes, mechanical response, aesthetics, and manufacturing techniques. A large segment of these applications utilizes polypropylene (PP) resins. One of the attractive features of PP polymers is the ability to tailor their mechanical, thermal and processing performance envelope via modification of their composition and the addition of fillers. Key to the successful application of PP resins in structural systems is the ability of designers and engineers to understand the material response and to properly model the behavior of PP structures upon different mechanical and thermal loading conditions.

The drive for lower weight instrument panels (IP) can be addressed with different design approaches. The first and more traditional approach is to substitute existing substrate materials with materials having a higher stiffness-to-density ratio. The second approach looks at the sub-system level where weight reduction is achieved through part integration. To exemplify this type of designs, examples of innovative knee bolster solutions are shown. The third and most radical approach is weight reduction at the system level. Alternatives to instrument panels that use traditional cross car beam structures will be presented. With these alternatives, hybrid and structural instrument panels can be developed in which weight reduction is achieved by part integration and by allowing plastic materials to fulfill a more significant structural role than in traditional IPs.

The increase in instrument panel design and functional performance requirements has resulted in a variety of structural architectures that have been utilized in different passenger vehicles, vans, and light trucks. Each architecture can be designed and engineered to meet corporate and federal requirements using different levels of integration, functionality consolidation, and assembly simplification. The present paper reviews three basic IP design architectures, i.e., traditional, hybrid, and structural, and discusses the performance requirement-functionality matrix in each case. Emphasis is given at explaining the role components play in the different architectures, defining their contribution to static, dynamic and crash performance and their relation to the overall assembly process and sequence. Performance and functionality requirements are linked to basic material characteristics that guide material selection for achieving design targets.