INDUSTRY
AUTOMOTIVE
PRODUCTS USED
HIGH PRECISION INJECTION
MOLDED PLASTIC SOLUTIONS
TECHNOLOGY
PLASTICS
CASE STUDY
METAL-TO-PLASTIC CONVERSION FOR AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT HOUSING
A global Tier 1 automotive supplier required lightweight alternatives to conventional metal castings for use on a new electric drive unit.
CUSTOMER CHALLENGE
As automotive vehicle manufacturers move away from internal combustion power trains and into the era of electric vehicles, the demand for weight reduction is more important than ever. The supply base is challenged to explore and implement ideas to save mass wherever feasible. For a new electric drive unit, a Tier 1 manufacturing company partnered with Parker Chomerics to develop a plastic solution for several components.
The customer has historically used metal, steel or aluminum, to create the high precision components that are used throughout the power train assemblies. Converting to plastic injection molded parts is desired for the significant mass reduction, design flexibility and cost advantages.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
- Special features required for attachment and retention to the drive unit
- Proper material selection to withstand lubricants, cleaners and heat
- Part design must be feasible for injection mold manufacturing
- Integrated gaskets, seals and o-rings as necessary
KEY CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
- Part must retain sealing function throughout lifetime
- Tight tolerances must be held to ensure proper function
- Demonstrate mass and cost reduction vs. metal
SOLUTION
During the conceptual phase, application engineers at Parker Chomerics leveraged their extensive experience with High Precision Injection Molded Plastic Solutions, with over 200 plastics and strong relations with raw material suppliers to determine the right material for each application.
Extensive mold flows and part testing to measure post molded relative crystallinity and melt viscosity variation (MV) were conducted to optimize processing parameters and minimize part distortion during normal use.
Design for manufacturability input was shared with the automotive manufacturer based on lessons learned and best practices early in the development. Compression limiters are placed in the mold using robotic end of arm tooling prior to the plastic injection cycle. This allows for the robust use of machine bolts to attach and retain the plastic to the drive unit.
In addition, Parker Chomerics coordinated with Parker Hannifin’s O-Ring & Engineered Seals Division to select and integrate proven sealing technologies to meet the customer’s specific performance requirements.
CONCLUSION
The customer benefited through Parker Chomerics’ early involvement in the development process.This led to optimizing the design and injection molding process prior to creating production tooling which eliminated the need for costly engineering changes during launch and ensured that all design and key customer requirements were met.
Parker’s ability to leverage relations with material suppliers, our extensive experience and vast product portfolio resulted in finished plastic injection molded assemblies that achieved the highest level of confidence possible while reducing weight and meeting cost targets.
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Parker Hannifin Chomerics Division
77 Dragon Ct., Woburn, MA 01801
781-935-4850