Autoblog

Resin shortage could snarl auto production

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:28:00 EST

Economies of scale, globalization and production efficiencies continue to exacerbate any disruptive incident in an automaker's supply chain. The latest snafu is due to a fatal explosion at Germany's Evonik Industries, which arrested that company's ability to produce cyclodecatriene (CDT). In turn, the production of the resin Vestamid Polyamide 12 (PA-12) is threatened by the loss of CDT, one of its key components. And a crimp in PA-12 supplies threatens the manufacture of crucial components like brake-line coatings and flexible hoses.

Auto-industry analysts have described the issue as "serious," but no one, including automakers and suppliers, is sure of how grave the issue will be. Michigan-based Tier One carmaker supplier TI Automotive is hosting a conference later this month with competitors and carmakers to discuss the issue. The major car manufacturers have said they are monitoring the situation, but no disruptions have been planned for yet.

Resin shortage could snarl auto production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could bamboo resin be a good alternative to carbon fiber for cars?

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Toys/Games, Electric

The quest for ever-better lightweight manufacturing materials has led one electric vehicle builder to consider using woven bamboo fiber and vegetable resin in the place of costly carbon fiber or heavy fiberglass. The material is already being put to use in the surfboard industry, and Greg Abbott, a guy who spends his days converting internal-combustion vehicles to EVs, says that in the future, EV kits may have bodies that use bamboo for their body structure. Abbott says the material is strong enough to fall somewhere between fiberglass and carbon fiber on the strength-to-width ratio scale.

Bamboo has a number of fairly obvious appealing traits as a manufacturing material. The crop is quick-growing, stout and easily replenished, which makes it inexpensive as well. The plant is used in everything from flooring to textiles, paper and water processing, so the thought of turning to bamboo for car bodies isn't that far fetched.

Could bamboo resin be a good alternative to carbon fiber for cars? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Resinating the Essential: Infiniti offering limited-edition sculpture with Louis Vuitton case

Noah Joseph — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Infiniti, Design/Style

Infiniti Essence sculpture - Click above for high-res images

Rolling sculpture is how you might describe the Infiniti Essence show car. When it was unveiled in Geneva last year it stole the show, and now the Japanese luxury marque is following up with a limited-edition sculpture of the car itself.

Crafted from resin by the same creative minds behind the Essence concept, the Essence sculpture will only be produced in a limited run of 300 examples, each fetching $300. The sculpture is transported and presented in a special case hand-crafted by Louis Vuitton, the luxury goods workshop that made the custom-fitted luggage for the concept car.

The sculpture will debut at the upcoming LA Auto Show before going on sale at infinitilifestyle.com in December, but you can get a closer look now by clicking the thumbnails below and following the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Infiniti Essence sculpture

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Resinating the Essential: Infiniti offering limited-edition sculpture with Louis Vuitton case

Resinating the Essential: Infiniti offering limited-edition sculpture with Louis Vuitton case originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mustang billboards blur background and their own point

John Neff — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

click on above image for link to more pics of blurry Mustang billboards by Ian Hart

These Mustang billboards have popped up on the internet today thanks to a few advertising-related blogs that just don't get their point. The billboards are constructed from a semi-transparent resin that magically blur the scene behind them regardless of the weather. If you don't get it by now, they're supposed to give onlookers the sense of speed they would feel were they bombing down the road in a Mustang instead of their own daily driver. It's cute, but ad experts are blasting it pretty hard because of the tiny Mustang logo that appears in the lower right corner of each billboard. The logo is too small to notice at first glance, which pretty much means the billboard fails as an actual advertisement for the Mustang brand. The technology used to make the billboard, however, still has applications. For instance, take the slowest car you own and cover the windows in this semi-transparent resin. Bam, now no matter how slow you're going, it always looks fast from the inside.

Thanks for the tip, jcklope!

[Source: Adpunch]

Mustang billboards blur background and their own point originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carbon fiber... don't believe the hype?

Chris Paukert — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 13:55:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Technology

In a new entry over at TheTruthAboutCars.com, writer Johnny Lieberman trips the rant fantastic, lambasting carbon fiber-- material of choice for racer and poseur alike. So, what does the writer have against the sought-after weave? Well, it's impact properties, for one (Lieb' recons its accident constitution is a one-and-done proposition), and its indulgent cost for another.
Granted, Lieberman doesn't spill his vitriol on the carbon fiber's motorsports applications, he mainly calls to task the trend where the shiny plaits (or knockoffs thereof) are employed in everything from dashboard appliqués to parking brake handles, the vast majority of which offer few tangible benefits in production cars beyond aesthetics.

What do you think... is carbon fiber over-hyped, or does it remain a desirable material?

[Source: TheTruthAboutCars.com]

Carbon fiber... don't believe the hype? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jun 2006 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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