Wednesday Snippets
This might interest some of the mechanically inclined out there:
Together with the renowned system supplier ContiTech Vibration Control, a business division of Continental AG, BASF has developed the first engine torque rod made of plastic that can withstand high mechanical load. This component serves to secure the vehicle engine and transmission assembly as well as to dampen vibrations and to insulate structure-borne noise. Up to now, highly loaded components such as engine mounts, gear mounts and torque rods have been made exclusively of aluminum or steel. For the development BASF employed its new special polyamide Ultramid® A3WG10 CR together with the distinctly expanded instrument of Integrative Simulation. The part weighs 35% less than its predecessor made of aluminum and has gone into serial production for the Opel Vectra and Saab 9 3. The engine mount system is the primary connection member between the engine/transmission unit and the car body. In addition to high loads, these systems are exposed to temperatures ranging from 30°C to 120°C [-22°F to 248°F] as well as to contamination by oils and other chemicals.
I get nervous when I hear about engine/transmission parts made of plastic, but I guess these companies know what they’re doing…..
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The Saab 9-X Biohybrid is one of the New York Times’ five cars that matter.
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Scientific American walked the Geneva Show floor with the head of design from Mazda, seeking comment on various attractions at the show:
To me what’s interesting is that where Volvo is going in a more emotional design direction, Saab seems to be embracing Scandinavian design more to the extreme. So you see a purity of shapes, the starkness of colors and some reduced elements.
I thought his comments on the Volvo XC60 made for good feelings about the 9-4x too, primarily because of his confirmation of market potential and growth for that sector. It also highlighted the importance of interiors, which the 9-4x has nailed if they produce the essence of the show interior in the production car.
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Sweden is not only leading the world in terms of embracing biofuels, they’re also leading the way in driver education when it comes to environmental responsibility:
All new drivers in Sweden must learn how to drive with the environment in mind. New drivers are being trained to start the car only after engaging first gear, letting off the parking brake, and checking their surroundings. Other tricks like using the highest possible gear when you are driving as well as using engine braking as much as possible are also taught.
I’m not sure that the acceleration speeds of the new BSR-tuned TTiD fall within this ethos, but whatever…..
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Robin M is up to #71 in his quest to photograph a different Saab for every day in 2008. And isn’t #71 an absolute pearler!
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A plastic engine mount. It must have superior vibration isolation characteristics compared to a steel or aluminum mount. As well as a cost savings. Time will tell how that part holds up.
well, you can make the bushing in the mount of rubber, or poly urethane, or some polymer-based substance… why not the whole mount too i guess…
when i saw ‘rod’ in the first sentence i got scared they were trying to make engine internals out of plastic… what a scare…
I love my Saab but, wow these cars really need it. I just hope they hold up for the many miles that Saab can go to and not just til the warranty has ended.
Tedjs: Yes.
Plastics are notoriously brittle, something that most steels are definitely not. The mechanical opposite of brittle is tough. Steel is very tough — that is, it can take repeated stresses.
Over time, motor mounts absorb a LOT of vibration. That’s specifically why they are one of the most replaced structural components in your car. The fact that the plastic will dampen vibration isn’t necessarily a good thing — the energy of the vibration goes somewhere, and in this case it goes right into the mount itself.
This is not good for longevity.
The article says that they have oriented the fibers in the same direction. OK. It also says that they have made the material stronger. OK. However, I am really concerned about toughness — just how many cycles can this piece take before it fails?
I predict this to be a recall item. I’m saying it right now. These cars will have to be recalled to modify this engine mount in the next two to three years.
If you want to save weight, use space-age plastics in the hood, in the seats, in the trim. Don’t use it in the structure.
Saaboy: The difference: those bushing materials are in compression. This piece must take mechanical deflection is a number of directions at once.
Not where you want plastic, in my opinion.
Eggs, me thinks you are underestimating the competence of BASF and Saab engineers. At the end of the day, this is not some Barbie-manufacturing op in Macao.
Eggs: I am going to email that company and see if they have some more information on that mount - just to learn about the advantage of the plastic part.
In my experience most mounts tend to fail when the ‘rubber’ portion has deteriorated to the point where vibrations are no longer absorbed but transmitted to the unibody structure. The steel part of the mount never seemed to be problem, except in a few isolated cases where it ‘resonated’ with an engine vibration for example (and cracked etc.)
I would assume the plastic is serving to absorb vibrations that would ‘leak’ past the steel and cause customer dissatisfaction although this is generally only a problem at idle speeds and maybe when shifting gears.
Honda has been using those ‘two stage’ engine mounts for years (computer/vacuum controlled no less!) and they have had a number of issues with them on several models, however they must feel there is a benefit to continue using what might be considered by some to be a weak part.
I guess if those engineers stopped ‘playing’ with parts like that – those of us in the car repair business would have little to do.
Kroum: I hear you. BASF and Saab have great technology.
However, Tedjs has a point — this is complexity that creates a point of failure.
Additionally, we all know that version 1.0 of anything is likely to have issues.
I stand by my comment — recall. It’s waiting…
Eggs, if a part fails, it’s because it is underdimensioned for its job, not because it’s steel or plastics (or something else).
Of course there are cases where material selection can go wrong, but mostly that is because of insufficient knowledge of working conditions.
Properly dimensioned a plastic (in this case a Nylon+GF ? ) engine mount will work just fine and last the life of the car.
Stand by your comment - but let’s hope you are wrong.
riku: Understood. However, in my opinion, this is an error in material selection.
And, properly dimensioned, I believe that this material will have little or no weight reduction as stated. Mass is an important factor when damping or absorbing vibration, which this part is called upon to do.
Ultramid is a nylon-type material, not just a regular (brittle) plastic. If nylon’s can be constantly deformed in tyres, there’s no reason why they would crack in engine mounts.