Apr 19 2010
A new breakthrough nylon - DuPont Zytel PLUS - and new materials to enable laser welding techniques are the focus of two DuPont Automotive Performance Polymers talks scheduled for the April 27 SPE Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference (AutoEPCON) at the MSU Management Education Center in Troy, Mich.
"NEW DuPont nylon resin can double performance life of components exposed to heat, corrosive fluids and chemicals," will be presented by Gianluigi Molteni, DuPont Automotive Performance Polymers global powertrain segment manager at 10:15 a.m. "Employing laser welding for creative and cost-effective solutions," will be presented by Dan Jones, DuPont Automotive Performance Polymers technical service representative specializing in assembly techniques at 10:45 a.m.
"Delivering innovation in a cost-effective manner is imperative in today's competitive environment," said Mike Day, DuPont Automotive Performance Polymers marketing director - Americas. "DuPont continues its commitment to inventing new materials and solutions that help differentiate and improve performance, drawing from its rich history of invention and global team of technical and development experts."
"The drive to reduce cost and weight will introduce plastics in applications never before considered," said Molteni. "Zytel PLUS nylon delivers exceptionally long-term performance despite exposure to heat and chemicals, inviting new ways to replace metal, especially under the hood, in transmissions and exhaust systems."
Whether exposed to calcium chloride or to 3,000 or 4,000 hours of hot air, hot oil, water, long-life coolant, members of the Zytel PLUS nylon family outperform traditional nylon products on the market today, according to recent tests.
Laser welding has found a niche in applications where components must be kept clean, are susceptible to thermal damage, require precision alignment, or may be damaged by other traditional assembly methods, according to Jones. "More than that, laser welding invites new design ideas for plastic assemblies, most of which can simplify the molding process, integrate multiple components and ultimately drive out cost.
"Knowing when to use laser welding, how to select process-compatible materials and how to optimize part design is essential to successful application development," said Jones, who plans to use real-world examples to highlight cost-saving design ideas, provide insights into when to use it and how to select the right materials.
DuPont Automotive offers more than 100 materials and products to the global automotive industry and through its global application development network is committed to delivering cost-effective solutions to help reduce vehicle weight for better fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions, to integrate part functionality to simplify assembly and eliminate cost; and help bring invention to market fast, better and more cost-effectively. For more information, visit automotive.dupont.com.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.