DURETHAN® POLYAMIDE RESIN FROM BAYER PLASTICS FORMS AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR GM ECOTEC ENGINE

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DURETHAN® POLYAMIDE RESIN FROM BAYER PLASTICS FORMS AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR GM ECOTEC ENGINE
12 September 2002 - Bayer MaterialScience AG

MANN + HUMMEL AUTOMOTIVE, Inc. was able to improve the noise quality and reduce the cost of the air intake manifold for General Motors' 4-cylinder, 2.2-liter Ecotec engine by making a double switch - from lost core molding and from another material supplier to multishell technology and engineering resins from Bayer Plastics.

The air intake manifolds are formed from Bayer's Durethan® BKV-30H2.0 1510 black resin. This 30-percent-glass-filled, heat-stabilized polyamide 6 resin offers a desirable combination of high strength and toughness, as well as chemical and abrasion resistance.

MANN + HUMMEL injection molds three individual pieces (or shells) of the manifold - upper, inner and lower - using Bayer's Durethan resin. After molding, the three shells are joined together via vibration welding to form the complete manifold.

The finished manifolds are sent to one of two GM engine facilities - Spring Hill, Tenn., or Tonawanda, N.Y. - where they are attached to the Ecotec engine. Next, the completed engines are sent to auto assembly plants for installation in various GM models, including the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire and Grand Am, Oldsmobile Alero and the new Saturn VUE sport utility vehicle.

Multishell's Multiple Benefits

In contrast to lost-core molding, multishell technology can offer a reduction in cost due to faster processing with less complex machinery. This permits fewer production steps and shorter cycle times. Additional benefits of multishell are an excellent manufacturing window for welding with polyamide 6 resin, excellent burst strength using polyamide 6 resin, high parts integration potential, and joining options that include vibration welding, hot plate welding and overmolding.

Multishell-molded polyamide manifolds also offer weight reduction over metal casting. This is an important benefit to automakers who are always seeking to reduce vehicle weight.

Bayer Does a Bang-Up Job

When seeking a materials supplier for this application, MANN + HUMMEL found that Bayer provided the right combination of resin performance and technical expertise, according to Rick Weckerle, Manager, Project Engineering, MANN + HUMMEL. 'We needed a resin that would pass GM's rigorous specifications, and Bayer's Durethan resin passed with flying colors,' he explained.

'The properties of the Durethan resin and how it molds is one of the keys to this project,' Weckerle continued, adding that the technical abilities of Bayer's engineering team also deserve kudos.

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About: Bayer MaterialScience AG
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is part of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer employs 23,300 in North America with net North American sales of 8.8 billion euros in 2003. Bayer’s three operating business areas – HealthCare, CropScience and MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose and treat diseases, protect crops and advance automobile safety and durability.

Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world's largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics. The main customers for Its innovative developments in coatings, adhesives, insulating materials and sealants, polycarbonates and polyurethanes are the automotive and construction industries, the electrical/electronics segment and manufacturers of sports and leisure goods, packaging, and medical devices.

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