| Description |
|
Composite Pick Up Truck Box |
| OEM, Model, Model Year |
|
General Motors, Silverado, 2001 |
| System Supplier, Contact, Phone |
|
GM Fort Wayne Assembly, Ed Puglise, (219)433-6967 |
| Molder/Processor, Contact |
|
Meridian/Budd, See Attached |
| Toolmaker, Contact |
|
Century/Prospect, See Attached |
| Material Supplier, Contact |
|
Dow/Bayer/Owens Corning/SIA, See Attached |
| Generic resin type |
|
Polyurethane/Polyurea |
| Resin Trade Name |
|
Spectrim HH365 / Baydur 425 / ME 2000 |
| OEM Engineer, Title and Phone |
|
Tom Jensen, Engineering Group Manager, (248)753-3263 |
| Nominated by, Company |
|
Michael Shoemaker, Dow Automotive |
| Address |
|
1600 Harmon Road, Auburn Hills |
| Phone |
|
(248)393-3074 |
| Fax |
|
(248)391-6393 |
| Email |
|
mrshoemaker@dow.com |
| Summary | | First use of plastics as a replacement for steel for a full size pick up truck for all inner and outer truck bed panels. Largest SRIM Panel ever produced on industrial scale, Unique "Snap Fit" Assembly to Attach Quarter Panels & Endgate Outer Panel to Body Light Weight Endgate Allows One-Handed Operation, Outperforms Steel Pickup Box in all customer Environments. Weight Savings: 50 Pounds in Box/Endgate Assembly; 6 pounds in endgate. Cost Savings: N/A Cost Avoidance: Lower Warranty, Reduced repair costs. |
| Most Innovative Feature | | First use of plastics as a replacement for steel for a full size pick up tuck for all inner and outer truck bed panels. |
| Other Innovative Features | | Largest SRIM Panel ever produced on industrial scale, Unique "Snap Fit" Assembly to Attach Quarter Panels & Endgate Outer Panel to Body Light Weight Endgate Allows One-Handed Operation, Outperforms Steel Pickup Box in all customer Environments, Pick Up Box is 50 Pounds Weight Savings vs Steel |
| Forming Process | | RRIM Body Panels: Reaction Injection Molding, SRIM: Glass Preforming followed by Reaction Injection Molding |
| First time process used? | | RRIM Body Panels: No, SRIM Inner Panels: Yes |
| Previous Process Used | | Steel Stamping, Spot Welding |
| Tooling Innovations | | Largest Production Scale SRIM Tooling Ever Made |
| New Material Developments | | RRIM with good flowHigh Temperature Resistance to produce large parts that are painted in GM Assembly plant; SRIM with good flow, mold release, no blistering, to produce large parts; Robotic Directed Fiber Preforms with String Binder, Adhesive to bond SRIM/SMC/Steel, SRIM with Paint |
| Weight Savings | | 50 Pounds weight savings in Box/Endgate Assembly; 6 pounds weight savings in endgate |
| Direct Cost Savings | | N/A (Composite Box is Offered as $850 Option) |
| Indirect Cost Savings | | Lower Warranty costs due to improved dent/ding resistance, Reduced Repair costs due to easier disassembly/assembly and repair timing, Lower fuel costs to operate the vehicle due to weight savings |
| Direct Consumer Benefit | | Better Scratch & Dent Resistance vs Steel, Better Corrosion Resistance vs Steel Better Fuel Economy, 10+ Year Life for Pickup Box |
| Translates to other Vehicles? | | Yes, Can be translated |
| Safety Benefits | | N/A |
| Environmental Benefits | | All Materials are recyclable with required infrastructure to accomplish |
| Additional Info | | This is a major composites application for full size pick up boxes that can be expanded to full body structures |