SABIC VALOX Resin Helps Crown General Motors Winner of SPE® Automotive Innovation Award in Performance & Customization Category
Summary
Pittsfield, MA, November 30, 2012 --( “We are pleased to have played a supporting role in helping GM garner this distinguished industry recognition,” said V. Umamaheswaran (UV), director of marketing, Automotive, Innovative Plastics.Another key benefit of VALOX resin for this application is the material’s high quality feel and surface appearance, giving the deflector part a premium look and aesthetic attractiveness that consumers demand in a high-performance sports car.This unique carbon fiber prepreg composite part pulls air through the lower grille and out through the hood, cooling the engine, increasing efficiency and reducing lift in the process.We look forward to continued collaboration with our customers to help them meet the increasingly complex application challenges that lie ahead.”SABIC, working with GM and system supplier TransGlobal LLC, helped develop the water deflector by providing material selection assistance, predictive engineering work, as well as tool build design and validation support.VALOX Resin Deflector Takes the Heat, Looks GoodThe Camaro ZL1 air extractor is engineered from carbon-fiber composites to achieve the highest stiffness and strength achievable with the lowest mass.The air extractor makes extensive use of adhesive bonding to join two components to the one-piece design.The adhesive bonding also isolates the carbon composite panel from the rest of the aluminum hood, preventing galvanic corrosion.VALOX resin delivers the high heat performance required to ensure the long-term durability of the air extractor’s water deflector.