From Automobile mag...

http://www.automobilemag.com/green/news/09...berg/index.html

 

That's pretty cool. They said Glocks would fall apart because they were made from plastics, but they are now the gold standard of reliability in handguns.

 

Interesting

 

Interesting article...thanks for sharing.

 

Good point.

 

I think the coolest part is that if you could make long term reliable engines from composite materials and be able to drop 200 or more pounds off a car. Better handling, acceleration, braking, mpg and more fun to drive.

Its still probably 10 years or more away, but seeing part of the future of auto tech is always neat.

The article referenced composite intake manifolds had been used quite a bit. I had never heard of this.

 

Granted, racing applications are severe, but there is no comment about the longevity of the engines. Can they run for 150K miles? Can they handle -40*F to 125*F ambient temperatures? How about constant start-up/shut-down problems with varied cooling rates of thermoset plastics vs metals in the engine? Plastics are generally quite brittle in cold temperatures and I doubt these are much different.

 

Interesting read.
If the plastic composites can hold up the stress and heat, it can definitely be the future material for engines.
Just look at the weight savings.
415lbs => 200lbs

Dan

 

Glocks don't see 500,000,000 cycles in their lifetime, have virtually no significant moving parts (certainly nothing comparable to pistons and crankshafts), generate relatively low amounts of heat, and are not subject to nearly the same level of environmental factors seen by an engine. It's not even remotely comparable.

 

Virtually every manufacturer is using plastic intake manifolds on some or all of their cars. GM and Ford have used them since the 1990s. The GM LSx engines all use plastic intake manifolds, I believe.