1999 SPE Award Winners:
Chassis/Hardware/Assembly Category
HVAC Evaporator Core Seal
This injection molded frame and seal for an HVAC system utilizes a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) for sealing, molded over a propylene substrate. This part replaces a molded or strip foam seal, and resulted in the following improvements:
 | Odor Elimination |
| Reduce Air Leakage |
| Improve Assembly |
The previous foam seal absorbed condensation, allowing bacterial growth. The new design eliminated this since it provided a molded drain path to draw off condensation. The air leakage target of 5 cfm was exceeded by reaching 3.2 cfm, a significant improvement over foam seals.
|
|
The seals used a hot melt adhesive and operator sensitive in assembly. The new design is placed into position using positive attachments. Placement of the seal is precise and repeatable. The attachments are visible in the illustrations above.
The two illustrations below show the thermoplastic foam over molding of the polymer substrate.
 |
 |
This sketch below shows the seal as it functions in the installation, with TPE for for sealing and polypropylene for structural control.
The net result was significant cost savings due to the reduction of off line assemblers ( 2 people re-assigned) and also reduced component numbers.
 |
 |
 |
 |
