Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - October 2023 - 8

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS
MATERIALS
Altair honors innovations in lightweighting and sustainability
Injection molded by US Farathane, the
Enabling Technology: Injection-molded
seatback and seat cushion developed by
Toyota, BASF and US Farathane.
Toyota and its segment-first IsoDynamic
Performance Seat were big winners in
this year's Altair Enlighten Awards, honored
during an awards ceremony at the
2023 CAR Management Briefing
Seminars (MBS) in August. Debuting in
the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro, the performance
seat's various lightweight structures
took the top spot for both the
Enabling Technology and the Module
Lightweighting categories.
Four other category winners, along
with runners-up and honorable mentions,
showcased how automotive and
commercial-vehicle companies are applying
advanced technologies and artificial
intelligence to create a more sustainable
future for the industry. " They demonstrate
exceptional leadership in this
area, but more importantly they demonstrate
how these innovative solutions can
be achieved by collaborating with the
supply chain, " Richard Yen, Altair's senior
VP for product and strategy, said at
the ceremony in Traverse City, Michigan.
" We are seeing a lot of companies bring
the suppliers together to [drive] innovation,
which serves as an inspiration for all
of us who would like to make a commitment
to a better future. "
As companies increasingly electrify
8 October 2023
their product portfolios, lightweighting
efforts must continue, Alan Amici, president
and CEO, Center for Automotive
Research (CAR), stressed. " EVs are
heavy. They are as much as 1,000 kg
[2,205 lbs.] heavier than their ICE counterparts, "
he reminded the MBS audience.
" Of course, we know from our
work in fuel economy that weight is directly
[related] to range. Just because
we're moving away from CO2
propulsion, we still have to be thinking
about how to make vehicles lighter. "
Lightweighting Enabling
Technology
Winner: Engineers at Toyota worked
closely with counterparts at BASF and
US Farathane on what they claim is the
world's first adoption of a resin frame, as
used for the IsoDynamic Performance
Seat in the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro. Toyota
converted more than 17 multi-piece steel
parts into just one molded part, resulting
in an estimated 20% cost reduction and a
30% weight reduction, while passing all
front-row seat requirements. Another
claimed first is the adoption of lateral,
vertical and horizontal dynamic motions,
with adjustable dampers for the driver
and passenger seats in offroad vehicles.
seat structure uses a combination of
BASF's Ultramid impact-modified polyamide
grades. Using BASF's Ultrasim CAE
program, the seatback and cushion structural
design optimization creates a suspension
system that ensures lateral rigidity
in resin frames while improving the
seat occupant's ride. Innovation throughout
the process has " massive potential "
for other applications, according to
BASF's Kipp Grumm, senior technical
development engineer, Performance
Materials. " The unique design of the injection-molded
resin seat frame can open
the door for future projects in offroad
vehicles, " he said.
Runner-up: Chinese EV maker NIO
applied high-pressure die casting
(HPDC) material and processing methods
for the rear-floor structure of its
2023 ES6 electric SUV. The company
used a new alloy material that does not
require heat treatment, as well as a
more accurate and efficient laser cleaning
process. These changes resulted in a
-generating
Module Lightweighting: Toyota, Adient and
Multimatic created a seat structure using the
proprietary Accra process.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
FROM TOP: BASF; SAE/RYAN GEHM
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - October 2023

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