Automotive & Transportation

50th SPE Auto Innovation Awards highlight the indelible impact of plastics on component development

Winning parts in annual thermoforming competition highlight advances in process capabilities and materials  Ten parts representing a range of applications won awards at the SPE Thermoforming Division’s annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., last fall.   The event lived up to…

Extruder manufacturer Bausano of Turin, Italy (North American office is in Houston), offers electromagnetic induction heating on its machines as an option to conventional ceramic band resistance heaters. Called the Smart Energy System (SES), benefits include the ability to reach…

Datwyler, a manufacturer of system-critical polymer components for diverse industries, is expanding its in-house capabilities with an initiative called Project ETEMI, an acronym for electrically and thermally conductive and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials.   The Schattdorf, Switzerland, company is using…

New molded and flexible electronics combine performance and design in new product types Molded and formed electronics are taking cars, homes and even industrial workspaces into new realms of functionality by combining high-end electronics with sleek aesthetics. The slim, highly…

The demand for automotive radar is projected to grow rapidly and sustainably at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent for the foreseeable future. Conventional vehicles are increasingly equipped with radar systems to enhance safety. Once autonomous vehicles…

The BASF Colors and Effects brand has launched Spectrasense Black EH 8082, an organic perylene functional black pigment with improved jetness in solid and neutral color travel in effect shades.   Described as a breakthrough in hue control for white and…

Swiss company develops technology to print liquid crystal polymers  Despite the number of polymers available for 3D printing, a conspicuously absent performance family is liquid crystal polymers (LCPs). That’s changing now that a Swiss startup reports it has solved the…

HP, the automaker and vendors solve circular challenge by creating a closed-loop—and valuable—materials stream Thanks to the benefits of additive manufacturing/3D printing, this market segment is predicted to quadruple in size by 2030, increasing from $12 billion in 2020 to…

Air taxis and delivery vehicles—whether piloted or autonomous—could be ready for daily use as soon as 2023, according to some forecasts. If so, this urban air mobility (UAM) market will create growing business opportunities for suppliers and processors of specialty…

Automakers around the world continue to invest billions to advance electronic vehicles (EVs) as sustainable and desirable transportation options. Despite their efforts, two nagging problems persist: how to rapidly recharge a battery—ideally in 5 minutes or less—and extend range beyond…

One of the most notorious flops in U.S product development history was the Edsel, which Ford Motor Co. made from 1957 to 1959. The Edsel was conceived to capture a greater share of the expanding medium-price-range car market at a…