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There is a recognized increasing global need for plastics that are either biodegradable or have components derived from environmentally renewable resources. In response to this challenge, YTC America Inc., a Yazaki group company, has initiated research into developing new environmentally-friendly plastics for applications in automotive components and consumer products. Two main approaches were used to reduce the consumption of petroleum-based plastics. The first approach attempts to develop composites based on bio-fibers and petroleum polymers. The second approach attempts to develop biopolymer based plastics in order to impart them with desirable properties competitive with the petroleum polymers. Results of these research activities will be reviewed.

The dynamic behavior of a towed vibratory roller has been studied through modal testing techniques. Physical mass changes of the frame of the roller have been made to avoid resonance problems and the predicted behavior improvement of the roller is collaborated in the experiments.

Towed vibratory rollers are still commonly used for many soil compaction projects. Pneumatic tire vibration dampers are used for isolating vibration excited by drum frequency generation devices. Static stiffness of these air vibration dampers is different from standard tires. The configuration of the tire shell is an important influence upon damper stiffness. The vibration transmissibility can be changed by adjusting tire pressure to obtain the isolation effect desired within a small range.

This paper presents an application of the finite element technique to the solution of the dynamic behavior of an engine chassis mount bracket. The method is used for prediction and evaluation of the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the engine chassis mount brackets. The influence of the C-section edges, ribs, bolt holes and boundary constraints on the modes of an engine bracket are analyzed according to the requirements for an engine mount. Some suggestions for improving the dynamic behavior of the engine bracket are presented.