The objective of this article is to help practitioners and management arrive at more compact, efficient and lightweight engines for vehicles. It aims to do this by providing details of a study that involved converting a heavily machined aluminium rear retainer – which interfaces a dynamic seal – to nylon 66, for Ford Motor Co. Cost analysis, materials testing, design parameter definitions, virtual modelling, process simulation, prototyping and testing are discussed in a system perspective, including manufacturing tolerances.

The automotive industry has been at the forefront of converting traditional metal parts to plastics. The latter surely offer greater design freedom, opportunity for consolidation, fewer assembly operations, reduced secondary finishing, weight reduction, lower total system costs, a range of properties tailored to specific applications, the ability to withstand temperatures, immunity to most chemicals and corrosive environments. They offer processing in many colors, electrical non-conductivity (insulation from electrical shocks), good thermal breaks (“warmth-to-the-touch”), and low sound transmission (tendency to muffle noise). Nonetheless, plastics have only tapped an estimated 15% of their tremendous potential to replace metals. This is particularly to increase with newer high-performance plastics, increasing sophistication in alloying and blending technologies, and use of computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE) systems. The latter enable engineers to visualize complex parts and molding tools more effectively and faster than ever before. This article identifies fundamental steps and requirements to conduct an efficient and successful conversion of metallic parts to plastics, reviewing the replacement design process from concept to production; an under-the-hood rear retainer for Ford Motor Company is detailed as a case study.