DaimlerChrysler Moves Closer to Lightweight, Low Cost, Recyclable Vehicles
2 November 1999
DaimlerChrysler Moves Closer to Lightweight, Low Cost, Recyclable Vehicles
NOVI, Mich., Nov. 1 -- DaimlerChrysler 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(R) 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."