DSM partnered with Flexfab and Steere Enterprises to improve the hot charge air ducts for 2020 Ram 1500 3.0L EcoDiesel trucks in North America. The new ducts leverage Stanyl® Diablo polyamide 46 (PA46), which is formulated specifically for high-temperature blow-molded hot charge air ducts.
The improved ducts now deliver higher peak temperature capability, superior strength, thermal cycling performance, and strength-retention after heat aging compared to PA66-based alternatives.
“To meet the high standards of our OEM customers, we rigorously test a wide range of material solutions for every application, and this project was no exception.” said Pete Hamm, Engineering Manager for Steere. “We chose Stanyl since it delivered a very unique combination of high-temperature performance, robust thermal cycling performance, and processability that was particularly important for this application”
Stanyl hot charge air duct for the 2020 Ram 1500 3.0L EcoDiesel truck.
“As vehicle electrification continues its gradual growth, automakers are continuing to seek efficiencies from the internal combustion engine,” said Jud Gibson, vice president for Commercial Americas, DSM Engineering Materials. “This is why our material scientists have developed a diverse portfolio of material solutions designed to reduce weight and improve performance for both traditional and electric powertrains.”
DSM developed Stanyl Diablo in order to help automakers meet and exceed increasingly stringent global emissions regulations. This has led to a trend in smaller vehicles with downsized engines. Creating these smaller engines requires new part designs. However, air ducts, either in metal or injection molded in plastic, do not offer the design flexibility needed to fit complex under-the-hood geometries. This requires the next generation of materials for hot charge air ducts created using blow molding techniques.
DSM’s complete portfolio of blow-moldable material solutions for air management now includes:
To learn more, please download the complimentary paper on this page or contact us.
General Technical Service Engineer
02 July 2020
Whitepaper
Designing Air Ducts that beat the heat
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General Technical Service Engineer
Russell Bloomfield is a technical service engineer at DSM Engineering Materials. In his current role, he focuses on high performance materials that are used in automotive air induction and powertrain systems. During his career, Russell has served positions in application development, process engineering, as well as market development for high performance polymers. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
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