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Increased requirements for crash energy management in automotive interiors have led to increased application of magnesium alloy AM50A. Successful integration of this new alloy with hot chamber diecasting process technology requires substantial adjustment and attention to processes and practices. This paper details the conversion of magnesium AZ91D steering column diecastings to high ductility structural alloy. Description is given of the changes made to foundry practices, casting parameters, process compliance monitoring, and hot end component management. The resulting improvements allow production of components comparable to the traditional alloy in manufacturing process demands while offering improved ductility and impact strength.

he mechanical properties of magnesium die castings that are critical to the design of interior components are evaluated in three situations. First, the results of instrumented impact testing of the AM alloys, AZ91D and AE42 are reviewed. Second, creep properties of AZ91D and the AM alloys at a slightly elevated temperature, 50°C, are evaluated. Lastly, the effect of aging at 100°C on the AM alloys is reported. In all cases, the results are based on separately cast test bars.

The qualification process leading to the utilization of refined recycled, high ductility magnesium alloys for automotive components at Chrysler Corporation is described. This process encompassed the steps from demonstrated process control during ingot production through the parallel performance testing of components produced from both electrolytic and refined recycled AM50A and AM60B alloys. The results of chemical analysis, optical and electron metallography, image analysis and corrosion testing of the ingot materials showed the electrolytic and refined recycled forms of the alloys to be indistinguishable. Mechanical property and salt spray corrosion tests of die cast specimens from the materials demonstrated their equivalence as well. Finally, the results of specified vehicle performance tests for three production components indicated that castings made from refined recycled AM50A and AM60B performed equally to their counterparts from electrolytic alloy materials.

This paper outlines the use of Magnesium AM60B to provide the structural material for a one piece Die Cast Instrument Panel cross vehicle beam, to aid packaging, DFM/DFA, steering column modal, mass goals and Crashworthiness

As the use of aluminum in automobiles increases, opportunities exist to improve the resource and environmental impacts of the automobile over its life cycle. This paper documents initial life cycle assessment results and actual improvements which have been made over the past several years to reduce life cycle energy and environmental impacts of automobiles and automotive aluminum. The use of a time-based, strategic analysis process to supplement life cycle inventory data and drive improvements at the process level is highlighted. New tools, based on emerging geographic information technology, are introduced to help overcome current life cycle limitations related to local impacts, global perspectives, and stakeholder communications.

Life Cycle Assessment allows us to state the actual environmental impacts of cars on their total life cycle. As such, it provides us help in the design of cleaner cars. This paper demonstrates the usefulness of Life Cycle Assessment in car design through a case study developed for a car manufacturer.

A life cycle energy model for representing electric (EV) and internal combustion energy (TCV) vehicles is presented. The full life cycle energy for each vehicle is computed including the material production, vehicle assembly, operation, maintenance, delivery, scrapping and recycling contributions. It is found that the modelled electric vehicle (sodium sulphur battery system) consumes 24% less life cycle energy than a functionally equivalent (in carrying capacity and life time distance) gasoline powered internal combustion energy vehicle. In fact, the ICV would have to operate at 50 MPG to be as operationally energy efficient as the EV. However, it should be noted that the EV is not the performance equivalent of the ICV; the former has a lower acceleration, a shorter range, a much longer “refueling time”, and a considerably greater cost. Overall, atmospheric emissions for the EV are lower than those for the ICV, though the former does generate more acid rain gases.

A full life-cycle assessment (LCA) is beyond the budget and/or time constraints of many potential users. A combination of screening and streamlined LCA is likely to be more cost effective. Screening LCA only can be used to identify key issues. Certain software tools allow for quick LCA and can be used e.g. for product development. LCA methods allow for methodological choices which favour your own product. Consequently, the credibility is low of an LCA comparing your own product to competing products. Credibility can be enhanced, e.g. through transparency and/or peer review.

As a life-cycle analysis tool, MARVEL has been developed for the evaluation of hybrid/electric vehicle systems. It can identify the optimal combination of battery and heat engine characteristics for different vehicle types and performance requirements, on the basis of either life-cycle cost or fuel efficiency. Battery models that allow trade-offs between specific power and specific energy, between cycle life and depth of discharge, between peak power and depth of discharge, and between other parameters, are included in the software. A parallel hybrid configuration, using an internal combustion engine and a battery as the power sources, can be simulated with a user-specified energy management strategy. The PC-based software package can also be used for cost or fuel efficiency comparisons among conventional, electric, and hybrid vehicles.

We are living an ecological decade. The interactions between man/machine/environment are emphasized and an equilibrium is always looked for in such way this three protagonists are worked with ordination and discipline to ensure their interfaces be effected without traumatism. The aspects concerning comfort and safety do not survive isolated. Nowadays, when they are considered, they possess strong interactions although they can be treated separately. Traffic accident analysis are without doubt, the main source to furnish informations for the development of automotive vehicles concerning safety. We are making a pioneer work in Brazil (probably in the South Hemisphere). We try to report our experiences concerning traffic accident analysis we have obtained with commercial vehicles (buses and trucks) in a period of two years, as well as the details and discussions regarding the main conclusions.

A contract between the Escola Politécnica of the Univeridade Estadual de São Paulo and the Mercedes-Benz do Brasil S/A was set to study the heat sources that act on a cab. This article is a bibliographical review on this topic. In the first part is reviewed how the heat sources mathematical models were developped from 1960 to these days. On the second part is commented and discussed some topics on cab ventilation as: air circulation and distribution pattern external air introduction, air dischange nozzles and outlets displacement, comfort discharging air velocity and temperature, etc…

Electric vehicle batteries use energy and generate environmental residuals when they are produced and recycled. This study estimates, for four selected battery types (advanced lead-acid, sodium-sulfur, nickel-cadmium, and nickel-metal hydride), the impacts of production and recycling of the materials used in electric vehicle batteries. These impacts are compared, with special attention to the locations of the emissions. It is found that the choice among batteries for electric vehicles involves tradeoffs among impacts. For example, although the nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries are similar, energy requirements for production of the cadmium electrodes may be higher than those for the metal hydride electrodes, but the latter may be more difficult to recycle.

The recyclability of old automobiles is of major interest to auto manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers and regulatory bodies concerned about sustainable development. While the majority of the ferrous and non-ferrous metals are currently recycled, the non-metallic waste fraction generated by automobile shredding operations is currently disposed of in landfills. In view of the relatively large concentration of plastics and rubber in this material, pyrolysis, the thermal degradation of polymeric materials to predominantly hydrocarbon products, appears an ideal resource recovery option for this waste stream. In this study, the results of pyrolysis experiments performed in our laboratory will be examined and compared with pyrolysis data reported in the literature. The importance of pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis reaction time and pyrolysis process design on product formation (liquids, solids and gases) as well as chemical composition are compared.

Rolling stock is an asset with a long life cycle which binds a lot of investment capital and brings about high operating costs. A procedure has now been developed which makes it possible to portray i.e. „design” today's long-range effect on the entire life cycle of decisions which must be made today in regard to this investment capital. This „Life Cycle Design” is worked out via a formal system consisting of models and predictions. Its measure is the so-called „Life Cycle Cost”. With the help of the Life Cycle Design various formal solutions can be found for current long-term problems. Based on this an optimal decision can then be made.

The paper reports the results of tests with commercial oils in a procedure developed by PETROBRAS and General Motors (GM), for the evaluation of lubricant oils in terms of sludges and varnishes formation and in terms of valve train wear. The purpose, thus, was to check the adequacy of the procedure to appraise lubricant oils of different performances and it was concluded that: a) the procedure is adequate to compare the performance of lubricant oils; b) the results have permitted ranking the different oils qualified as API SF and have confirmed the superior quality of the API SH oils as against the API SF oils in respect of all aspects evaluated.

This paper intends to show the different phases of an impact analysis related to the development of safety components. Along this work we will show besides these different phases, some difficulties that may arise, some cares to be taken, as well as the main types of results that are possible to obtain.

Much has been said and written about changes occurred in companies during the last years, when we have been passing from a closed and government directed economy to an strong competition in a global market, specially referring to the automotive branch. This report is an analysis of engineering functions organization inside an autopart company, evaluating in this environment of the modification, from a functional and departmentalized model, passing from engineering cells creation, to a more recent pattern based in result teams which act in an integrated multifunctional and flexible way, incorporating the various functions necessary for task performances. Evidently, we will be talking about information systems evolution and the use of quality tools which had a fundamental role in this process.

The use of natural fibres to reinforce high-grade plastic components offers not only ecological but also engineering and economical advantages. New respectively further developed processing technologies open up attractive areas of application for this material. The increasing industrial use of self-replacing raw materials for engineering applications, a frequent demand, has recently entered intense discussion. Using natural fibres to reinforce engineering plastics components turns out to be an approach to using reusable raw materials for material purposes. Preliminary experiments have demonstrated that natural fibres have not only ecological advantages over the currently used glass fibres, but that they also offer a number of engineering and economical advantages. Natural fibres, for instance, due to their low density and their favorable weight-specific properties, are particularly suitable for use in high-grade lightweight components.

The paper describes the acoustic development effected in one middle-class commercial vehicle with the purpose of achieving the external sound pressure levels dictated by new Brazilian legislation. The philosophy adopted as well as the mandatory modifications of the truck to fulfill the noise limits are showed together with the non-acoustic characteristics. Besides the acoustic treatment of some specific sources, it was introduced an acoustic barrier, usually called capsule or shield to reduce the noise emission of the engine-transmission assembly working by the mass law principle and sound absorption.