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Visteon Pushes Environmental Stewardship With Two New Programs

23 April 1999

Visteon Pushes Environmental Stewardship With Two Visionary New Manufacturing Programs

    DEARBORN, Mich., April 22 -- Visteon Automotive System is
taking the wheel in the drive to foster environmentally-friendly manufacturing
practices and today unveiled two visionary new component programs that promise
to reshape automotive recycling initiatives worldwide.
    Visteon is introducing a fully-recyclable door trim panel that is molded
from one family of plastics.  The panel is stronger, lighter and less costly
than conventional door trim panels which typically use three to five different
plastic materials in their construction.
    Visteon also has begun high-volume production of bumper support beams made
from 100 percent post-consumer material.  The bumper beam is the first
structural component in North America made entirely of recycled plastic, and
the Visteon program is testament to the broad potential of automotive
recycling.
    The two programs are the latest in a series of environmentally-friendly
processes and programs that Visteon has adopted during the past two years to
address consumer demands for cleaner vehicle systems and greener industry
practices.
    "We are extremely proud of the environmental standards we are setting at
Visteon," said Robert J. Womac, executive vice president, Operations.  "We
have the expertise and incentive to pursue new technologies that take
advantage of safer, stronger, more environmentally-sensitive processes and
materials.
    "Our customers are asking for more environmentally-friendly components,
and we want them to look at us as an environmental leader with solutions.  We
also want our communities and our people to recognize how seriously we take
environmental stewardship and the push for greener manufacturing."
    Visteon will use olefin-based plastics like Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO) to
manufacture fully-covered door trim panels.  The olefins will replace a
variety of different materials including polyurethane, ABS, and other resins
used in molding conventional door panel substrates.
    The use of one family of plastics not only simplifies the recycling
process -- rejected door panels and scrap can be reground on site without the
need to dismantle and separate the panel materials -- but offers manufacturers
significant weight savings and better overall material performance.
    Visteon will mold the olefin door panel in one step using low pressure
molding techniques.
    "This technology facilitates recycling from the start to the finish of the
life-cycle," Womac said.  "It reduces the amount of virgin material that needs
to be produced, reduces energy consumption, reduces landfill costs, and lowers
our system costs."
    Visteon expects to apply mono-material technology to other automotive
components and systems in North America and Europe, including instrument
panels.
    Visteon is also addressing environmental concerns with the production
bumper beam supports molded completely from post-consumer material.
    Visteon is using approximately 20,000 pounds of 100 percent recycled
polycarbonate polybuytltheraphalate (PC/PBT) a day to produce the bumper
supports for the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer.  The beams meet and
exceed all structural and safety standards established for vehicle bumper
components.  Recycled PC/PBT is also less costly than virgin material.
    PC/PBT was used extensively to mold car bumpers between 1985 and 1995 so
there is a ready supply of the material available in salvage yards.  Visteon
has contracted with American Commodities Inc, a Flint, Michigan recycling
company, to collect PC/PBT bumpers from over 400 locations around North
America.
    Visteon expects to expand the use of 100 percent post-consumer PC/PBT to
other structural support component programs.
    Visteon has introduced a number of other environmental initiatives over
the past two years.  Its facilities in Milan, Mich., and Utica, Mich., for
example, are recycling up to 60,000 pounds of discarded TPO per week to mold
new bumper fascias for Ford Motor Company cars and trucks.  The Sheldon Road
plant in Plymouth Township, Mich., Charleville-Muzipres plant in northern
France and Enfield plant near London are all using discarded soda bottles and
bottle caps to manufacture components that have a 25 percent recycled content.
    Visteon's carpet to car parts process of recycling large quantities of
used commercial carpet into vehicle engine air cleaner housings won the 1997
Grand Award and Environmental Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers.
    All of Visteon's global manufacturing facilities are ISO 14001 compliant.
Several of them have established wildlife sanctuaries on plant grounds.
Visteon employees frequently volunteer to assist in projects like community
clean-up efforts and tree plantings.
    With the global delivery system of nearly 100 technical, manufacturing,
sales and service facilities located in 20 countries, Visteon is leveraging
the talents of 74,000 employees to deliver innovative, consumer-driven
automotive systems solutions to its customers.