Ford Gets Grand Plastics Award

DETROIT-- Ford Motor Co. received the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Grand Award at the 30th Annual Automotive Division Innovation Awards. The Grand Award recognizes the “best-of-the-best” among awards given in six categories for the most innovative use of plastic.

The six categories are Environmental, Chassis/Hardware/Powertrain, Body Interior, Materials, Body Exterior and Process/Enabling Technologies.

Ford received the Grand Award for the most innovative use of plastic in the Chassis/Hardware/Powertrain category for a Controlled Energy Management (CEM) Bumper Isolator developed in partnership with LDM Technologies and Concept Analysis Corp. and featured on the 2001 Windstar. The CEM Bumper Isolator features several innovations in manufacturing, engineering, design and material application, which significantly reduce its cost and weight.

The isolator features a conical geometric design that produces a more efficient square wave crash pulse than expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam--the current industry standard. The isolator absorbs more energy in less space during both high and low speed impacts allowing it to be packaged in less space than EPP foam. This reduces front and rear overhangs. Shorter overhangs improve customer satisfaction by enabling improved styling and enhancing vehicle maneuverability, according to the company.

This year the Chassis/Hardware and Powertrain categories were combined. Ford has won five Chassis/Hardware and three Powertrain awards since 1988.

In addition to winning the Grand Award, was recognized for innovation in three out of the six award categories. The company received awards for the most innovative use of plastic in the Chassis/Hardware/Powertrain, Body Exterior and Environmental categories.

Ford received the award for the most innovative use of plastics/body exterior for introducing the industry’s first structural cargo box using composite materials. The composite pickup box on the Ford 2001 Explorer SportTrac was developed in partnership with The Budd Co.’s Plastics Division.

Using a composite instead of steel yields an over all reduction in vehicle weight, resulting in an increase in fuel economy. A structural Sheet Molding Composite (SMC) box inner does not trap water under a liner, eliminating the risk of rust damage to the pickup bed. The SMC box is close to 20 percent lighter than a typical steel box, according to the company.

The old process requires 45 pieces of sheet metal to be assembled. With the new composite one-piece box, there are fewer pieces, fewer tools and assembly fixtures and it takes up less floor space in the assembly plant, which results in cost savings.

The composite box exceeds the 150,000-mile durability requirements specified by Ford Truck for all pickup boxes. The composite box reduces weight, improves fuel economy, increases durability, cuts down production time and cost--and is also recyclable.

This is Ford’s second award in the Body Exterior category since 1988.

The award for the most innovative use of plastic in the environmental category is for developing the industry’s first commercially successful process for using recycled nylon in powertrain components, featured on the 2001 Econoline, F-series and Excursion. This was accomplished in partnership with Visteon and Honeywell.

The new process uses recycled nylon from carpet to make powertrain throttle bodies. The throttle body made of recycled nylon is virtually indistinguishable from those produced using virgin nylon.

This is the fifth time Ford has received the award in the environmental category since 1991.

To receive an award in one of the categories, the companies developing the technology nominate themselves to a SPE Automotive Division Board of Directors made up of volunteers who work in various plastic related jobs for companies in the automotive industry. It must be a new technology and it must be in production to be accepted.

The finalists accepted must then present their technology to the board. The technologies are divided into one of the six categories and the three to four with the most votes remain. The outstanding technologies then go to the Blue Ribbon panel made up of independent judges, including esteemed members of the press, technical specialists and academia and they decide on the six winners.