10.1 Introduction

This chapter primarily covers current and developmental exterior, interior, and under-hood plastics and elastomer applications. The chapter covers drivetrain/powertrain and chassis applications. Components for systems such as brake, fuel delivery, steering, and drivetrain are located in more than one sector. Brake system components extend from the foot pedal in the passenger compartment to the disk and drum brakes in the wheels; fuel delivery components begin with the fuel filler pipe and end with the engine cylinders. The steering system includes the steering wheel, energy absorbing column, steering shaft and arm with steering gears, tie bars, linkages, ball joints, and wheel spindle assembly; power steering adds hose, pump, reservoir, and more gears. The drivetrain transmits power generated by the engine through the transmission to the wheels, which can be front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive. Although designs for assemblies such as air intake manifolds, air and fuel delivery systems, instrument panels, transmissions, and drives differ for specific platforms, typical internal combustion engine vehicles have in common fundamental vehicle concepts.

The chapter describes plastics and elastomer applications that are injection molded, extruded, blow molded, thermoformed, rotational molded, reaction injection molded (RIM), resin transfer molded (RTM), compression molded, mat molded, pultruded, filament wound, and produced via hand lay-up and spray-up. It describes new developments for traditional applications and products new to the twenty-first century such as cool glass for fixed and retractable windows, digital/wireless communications, and fuel cell plates and membranes. Opportunities in the drivetrain...