DuPont, Cooper-Standard Automotive earn multiple award nods

Nov. 16, 2007

During the recent annual awards ceremony held by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Division in Livonia, Mich., Cooper-Standard Automotive was honored with three finalist awards in the Most Innovative Use of Plastics category.

These components, found in several new Nissan vehicles, use DuPont Zytel HTN PPA which is designed to deliver significant cost, weight and performance improvements.

The three assemblies-primarily in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and fluid transfer systems-were redesigned in plastic to integrate multiple functions, simplify attachments and final assembly, and take advantage of Cooper-Standard's patented overmolding and joining processes to significantly reduce part count and improve performance. Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc., headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a global automotive supplier specializing in the manufacture and marketing of systems and components for the automotive industry.

The first assembly is an electric water valve unit for the Nissan Titan, Armada and Quest that taps the strength, stiffness, chemical and moisture resistance of Zytel HTN PPA to help enable a design that reduces four component parts to one, resulting in cost savings and a 40% weight savings.

Cooper-Standard's new design also delivers performance improvements, such as reducing pressure drop, current draw and internal/external leakage, which results in significant boost in air conditioning and heater performance.

"This is a first in terms of being able to singularly package a multi-functional water valve assembly," says John Croft, director of business development, Cooper-Standard's Fluid Systems Division.

"After studying the initial design and previous components, we saw the opportunity to integrate functions," says Richard Stonely, product development engineer, Cooper-Standard's Fluid Systems Division. "The assembly is deceptively simple; it uses three unique and patented processes to join rubber and plastic to metal and showcases some of our innovative joining technologies."

The transmission thermal valve assembly was named a finalist in the SPE Automotive Division's Most Innovative Use of Plastics Division-Powertrain category.

According to Jay Patel, DuPont Automotive market development manager, Zytel offers heat, chemical and moisture resistance that withstands the tough under-hood applications so that design engineers can move beyond metals. Zytel is also easy to process, he says.

SOURCE: DuPont Automotive