Dana Holding Corporation, BASF, and Ford Motor Company have earned the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Innovation Award. The companies were recognized in the powertrain category for the development of a state-of-the-art thermoplastic oil pan for the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty truck’s 6.7-liter Powerstroke® diesel engine.
The oil pan’s unique design delivers improved impact performance, as well as significant cost and weight savings.
The SPE Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative use of plastics in the automotive industry. Winners are selected by a panel of blue ribbon judges made up of retired industry leaders and members of the media. The awards were presented last Thursday evening in Livonia, Mich.
“Dana continuously seeks opportunities to add value for our customers,” said Dana Chief Technical Officer George Constand. “This award for innovation is a great example of close collaboration among customers and suppliers.”
The oil pan is the first North American commercial application to utilize ULTRAMID® B3ZG7 OSI “Optimized for Stone Impact” thermoplastic material from BASF. The material combines a glass-filled polyamide 6 polymer with a proprietary impact modifier designed to achieve superior long-term impact performance and to withstand attack from road salts. The pan also incorporates a highly-engineered rib pattern designed to survive multiple impacts by absorbing and dissipating the energy in the pan structure.
“Our collaboration with BASF and Ford on the thermoplastic oil pan addresses Ford’s need for lightweight products that meet or exceed the company’s uncompromising performance standards on its flagship truck platform,” said David Nash, director of research and development for the Dana Sealing Products Group. “By integrating the core capabilities of all organizations, we’ve developed an extremely durable, award-winning solution that delivers high customer value.”
The oil pan was designed to withstand the most rugged conditions, including stone impacts and temperature extremes. It also provides reductions in noise, vibration, and harshness for increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, the lightweight resin material, combined with the oil pan’s unique ribbed design, offers significant weight reduction of up to 40 percent – and cost savings of up to 30 percent – when compared with cast aluminum.
Further, the use of plastic easily allows for the incorporation of additional components such as oil sensors, baffles, etc., which is not possible using stamped steel.
Also unique to the oil pan is the use of an easy-access, patent-pending plastic drain plug – the first of its kind – which features a cam lock-fastening system that can be opened or resealed by hand or with a standard 3/8-inch socket. The drain plug was designed so that excessive torque, when applied to the plug, will not damage the pan.
“Designing and demonstrating long-term stone impact performance similar to or better than current metallic oil pans was the key requirement for us to penetrate the North American market,” said Mark Minnichelli, BASF Engineering Plastics Technology director.
Dana will supply the oil pan as part of a complete module that includes the oil pan, gasket, fastening system, and drain plug assembly. Additionally, Dana will continue to supply Spicer® front axles and rear driveshafts for the truck.
Dana will manufacture the oil pan module at its Composite Sealing Center in Paris, Tenn., before shipping to Ford’s engine assembly facility in Chihuahua, Mexico.
About Dana Holding Corporation
Dana is a world leader in the supply of axles; driveshafts; and structural, sealing, and thermal-management products; as well as genuine service parts. The company’s customer base includes virtually every major vehicle manufacturer in the global automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway markets. Based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 23,000 people in 26 countries and reported 2008 sales of $8.1 billion. For more information, please visit www.dana.com.
About BASF
BASF – The Chemical Company. We don’t make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.®
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, N.J., is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America and had sales of approximately $17.5 billion in 2008. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals, and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition, and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than EUR62 billion in 2008 and had approximately 97,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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