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Spicer Driveshaft Develops UV FlexBond Balance-Weight Technology

6 March 2000

Spicer Driveshaft Develops UV FlexBond Balance-Weight Technology to Enhance NVH DANA CORPORATION LOGO Dana Corporation logo. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] TOLEDO, OH USA 09/03/1999    

    TOLEDO, Ohio, March 6 Dana Corporation's
Spicer Driveshaft Division has developed an adhesive, balance-weight
technology that reduces noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) and provides for
a lighter weight driveshaft.  (Patent pending).
    (Photo:  Newscom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990903/DANA )
    "Our new adhesive, balance-weight technology or UV FlexBond(TM) allows us
to replace traditional heat-welding, which can cause deflection of a shaft in
the balancer, with a multi-cured adhesive that doesn't require heat," said Jim
Duggan, chief engineer - advanced engineering, Spicer Driveshaft Division. "To
ensure that the driveshafts we produce are properly balanced, we've
traditionally heat-welded counter weights to the driveshaft to create a
dynamically balanced assembly prior to shipment to our automotive customers.
The outcome of our new technology is a more refined driveshaft balance."
    Duggan said the new technology offers a host of benefits compared to
welding, including:

    * Zero heat -- The heat used in traditional welding techniques can affect
      how precisely balanced the final driveshaft assembly will be.  Because
      the adhesive is UV or chemically cured, the bonding is completed without
      intense heat. (The adhesive under the balance weight, where UV light
      can't reach, is chemically cured).

    * Weight savings -- The precision of the UV FlexBond balance-weight
      technology allows Dana engineers to use very thin wall tubing, making
      the driveshaft lighter.

    * Reduced NVH -- The lighter driveshaft increases the speed at which
      powertrain bending resonance occurs.   The result is that consumers
      benefit from a smoother, quieter ride.

    * Enhanced balance weight retention -- This resilient balance weight and
      adhesive flexes with a driveshaft's tube as it deforms under load and
      reduces stress levels along the adhesive bond line.

    * System balancing capability -- The new technology provides for balancing
      of the driveshaft, axle, and some transmission components -- an entire
      system -- before the vehicle is shipped.  "These components are
      currently balanced separately.  System balancing is a service we could
      provide our customers right in their facilities," said Duggan.

    "This technology has been proven in one of the toughest environments
available," Duggan added.  "Several of the NASCAR Winston Cup cars in this
year's Daytona 500 successfully ran our Spicer performance product with UV
FlexBond balance weights."
    "We're now building equipment to implement this new technology, in six to
nine months, across the board at Spicer Driveshaft Division," said Joe Sober,
vice president - general manager of the division.  "This technology will
contribute to a smoother riding, lighter weight vehicle with better fuel
economy."
    Spicer Driveshaft is the leading manufacturer and marketer of complete
driveline systems for the vehicular and off-highway markets and is an
operating unit under Dana's Automotive Systems Group.
    Dana's Automotive Systems Group provides under-the-vehicle products,
integrated modules and systems to customers anywhere in the world.  The
Automotive Systems Group consists of Spicer(R) driveshaft products, Parish(R)
structural products, Nakata(R) steering and suspension components, FTE(R)
brake and clutch systems and a systems engineering integration and logistics
unit.
    Dana Corporation is one of the world's largest independent suppliers to
vehicle manufacturers and related markets.  Founded in 1904 and based in
Toledo, Ohio, the company operates some 320 major facilities in 33 countries
and employs more than 82,000 people.  The company reported sales of $13.2
billion in 1999.  Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com .