Relevant article, see comment on fuel cell powertrain 3rd paragraph from the bottom.
Monday November 1, 10:43 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
DaimlerChrysler Moves Closer to Lightweight, Low Cost, Recyclable
Vehicles
NOVI, Mich., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX - news) is going into production with a lightweight,
low-cost, recyclable thermoplastic that could revolutionize the way cars and trucks are made.
Customers will see the new material technology on Jeep® Wrangler hardtops as early as next year if tests go as planned.
''We're essentially inventing a new way to make automobiles,'' said Jim Holden, DaimlerChrysler Board of Management
Member and DaimlerChrysler Corporation President. ''Today, everyone knows how to make lightweight vehicles with exotic
composite materials, they just happen to be terribly expensive. Now, we're developing a technology to make cars lighter and
less expensive than traditional steel vehicles.''
The unique technology, first shown in 1997 on the Composite Concept Vehicle (CCV), is now taking shape in a Jeep
Wrangler hardtop which is 23 pounds lighter than the current production version made of sheet molded composite (SMC). The
prototype hardtops are being made at Husky's Detroit Technical Center in Novi, Mich. Fifty prototype hardtops will be fitted
to Company fleet vehicles for testing later this year.
If tests go as planned, up to 5,000 hardtops will be produced with the new material for 2001 model year Wranglers.
Not only does the new process have the potential to improve fuel economy and cut vehicle body weight up to 50 percent, it
also could reduce body tooling costs by up to 70 percent, Holden said.
The facility is capable of simulating production line speeds, churning out one Jeep Wrangler hardtop every three minutes or less.
The hardtop was chosen as the ideal part to test because it can be fitted easily to an existing production vehicle for real-world
testing. ''If customers are as satisfied with the Jeep hardtops as we are and tests go well, we'll move forward with concepts for
complete vehicle construction using the new material and molding technologies,'' Holden said.
The new facility, built by Husky Injection Molding Systems of Bolton, Ontario, showcases the world's largest dual-platen
injection molding machine. The machine is twice the size of the largest molding machines used in the automotive industry today
and exerts 8,800 tons of clamp force and weighs 650 tons. Less than a dozen 4,400-ton machines exist, which are large
enough to mold fascias. The Husky molding machine was designed specifically for DaimlerChrysler's needs and can inject more
than 100 pounds of thermoplastic at one time -- enough to create half of a car body in one shot. In today's cars, the entire
body structure is made of 75-100 metal parts. Depending on future vehicle designs, DaimlerChrysler predicts a complete
vehicle body could be made with only six - 12 thermoplastic pieces.
''When we first introduced this idea, most people thought the toughest challenge would be safety,'' said Larry Oswald, Director
of Body Engineering at DaimlerChrysler's Liberty & Technical Affairs. ''Our durability and safety tests have been very
successful. One of our next challenges is appearance.''
Color can be molded into the plastic material, eliminating the need for a costly paint shop in an assembly plant. A typical paint
shop investment runs between $200 million-$400 million, including the expense for emissions control equipment. Also, with
molded-in-color plastic, surface scratches are less noticeable because there is no paint to chip away.
''When we started this project five years ago, the plastic body panels came in one color -- a dull white,'' Oswald said. ''Now,
we can mold virtually any color, but we still have some work to do to create a glossy finish within the mold.''
The material is 100 percent recyclable, which is still a challenge for many types of plastics and composites used in automotive
production today. Also, new vehicles could be molded using up to 25 percent of recycled thermoplastic of the same color.
The material's strength is another unique feature. This new thermoplastic material and innovative manufacturing process
eliminates the need for a traditional steel ''skeleton'' or structural spaceframe that other composite- paneled vehicles, such as
the Dodge Viper or Saturn, require. DaimlerChrysler's crash tests have shown that plastic-bodied cars can meet federal crash
test requirements with minimal use of metal reinforcement. How and where the metal is placed is part of the developing science
of this technology, Oswald said.
''The rapid development of this technology also moves us closer to our Partnership for New Generation of Vehicles' goals,''
Oswald said. ''We can't get to 80 mpg with an alternative powertrain alone. Not only do we save weight, but this could also
help offset the extra cost of a hybrid electric or fuel cell powertrain.''
The innovative material also opens doors for the design community. Designers of recent concept vehicles like the Plymouth
Pronto Spyder and Jeep Commander took advantage of the technology by creating crisp lines that would not have been
possible with stamped steel.
''We're very excited about this technology because of the cost savings, environmental benefits, design opportunities and
supplier involvement,'' Holden explained, ''but in the end, customers should get excited because we're learning how to make
cars and trucks more affordable.''
SOURCE: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
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