| Description |
|
Air Intake Manifold |
| OEM, Model, Model Year |
|
General Motors, TrailBlazer, Bravada, Envoy, 2002 |
| System Supplier, Contact, Phone |
|
Montaplast of North America, Inc., Michael Ellenbeck, (248)353-5553 |
| Molder/Processor, Contact |
|
Montaplast of North America, Inc., Michael Ellenbeck |
| Toolmaker, Contact |
|
Montaplast, Michael Ellenbeck |
| Material Supplier, Contact and Phone |
|
DuPont Automotive , Gianluigi Molteni, (248)583-8104 |
| Generic resin type |
|
PA 66 + GF |
| Resin Trade Name |
|
ZytelŪ |
| Grade |
|
EFE 7276 |
| OEM Engineer, Title and Phone |
|
Ken Douglas , Sr. Project Engineer , (248)857-2960 |
| Nominated by, Company |
|
Gianluigi Molteni, DuPont Automotive |
| Address |
|
950 Stephenson Highway, Troy, MI 48007-7013 |
| Phone |
|
(248)583-8104 |
| Fax |
|
(248)583-4592 |
| Email |
|
Gian-Luigi.Molteni@usa.dupont.com |
| Summary | | A form-fitting cover addressed NVH issues associated with thermoplastic manifolds, without adding to the part's complexity. It's simple design addresses the concerns of over pressurization and NVH while lowering the number of parts from several dozen to one single component. Weight Savings: 60% over aluminum. Cost Savings: $80,000 through prototype tool reductions. Cost Avoidance: Thermoplastics cut development time and costs. |
| Most Innovative Feature | | A form-fitting thermoplastic beauty/NVH cover addressed NVH issues associated with thermoplastic manifolds, without adding to the part's complexity. |
| Other Innovative Features | | It's simple yet elegant design addresses the traditional concerns of overpressurization and NVH while dramatically lowering the number of parts from several dozen to one single component. |
| Forming Process | | Two injection molded shells are joined through vibration welding. |
| First time process used? | | No |
| Tooling Innovations | | The hose connector is molded without a split line, which prevents hose damage. |
| New Material Developments | | Material optimized to meet specific efficiency and manufacturing requirements. Material technology is DuPont proprietary. |
| Weight Savings | | Sixty percent weight savings over aluminum. |
| Direct Cost Savings | | An estimated $80,000 was saved through prototype tool reductions. |
| Indirect Cost Savings | | Using thermoplastics helped cut development time and costs by reducing the amount of required prototyping. |
| Direct Consumer Benefit | | A smoother runner surface resulted in an increase in air flow when compared to a traditional aluminum design. |
| Translates to other Vehicles? | | No. |
| Safety Benefits | | Overpressurization hazards are addressed through material and manifold design. |
| Environmental Benefits | | Reduced weight and improved fuel economy reduce engine's environmental impact. |
| Additional Info | | This manifold empowered GM to offer an engine providing increased performance, smoother running without negatively impacting cost. The manifold is the result of a "clean sheet" approach that goes beyond simply converting a metal application to plastics. |