- 1 June 2007 -
Arnite offers properties for engine components

A reinforced Arnite® polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) blend produced by DSM Engineering Plastics has been chosen by Hitachi Automotive Systems Europe Ltd for use in an injection moulded mass airflow sensor body. The body has been designed for Audi engines. Its purpose is not only to mount the mass airflow sensor system precisely but also to shape air flow using a moulded-in grid.

The grid’s thin-wall elements and intricate geometry are said to benefit from Arnite TV4 261 30% glass reinforced grade PBT’s good flow characteristics, minimizing moulded-in stresses and strains that could contribute to warpage or unpredicatable dimensional change, causing the sensor to misread airflow. Other properties of the PBT blend include long term dimensional stability, stiffness and strength over a wide temperature range and chemical resistance.

“Throughput is excellent with this design,” comments Andrew Bridge, procurement and design engineer for Hitachi. “The ability to mould the unit in one piece without annealing saves us two production steps compared to less sophisticated, two-piece approaches with alternate materials.”

Moulder and toolmaker W.H. Smith & Sons Ltd and design and mould flow specialist DSM/DADC (Design and Development Centre) collaborated with Hitachi and DSM Engineering Plastics on the design process of the component.

DSM Engineering Plastics; www.dsm.com
Hitachi Automotive Systems Europe Ltd; www.hitachi-eu.com