|
Judges at the Structural Plastics Division (SPD) 2004 Design Competition in Charlotte, NC stepped up and took notice of the one-piece composite running board for Ford F250/350 trucks, giving it their Judges Award.
The single composite part by Decoma Exterior Systems Engineering (Troy, MI) is designed to replace a 43-piece metal running-board assembly. Designers teamed up with molder, Composite Products, Inc. (Winona, MN) to drop over 30 lb per vehicle on F250/350 super cabs with the specially formulated polypropylene, long-glass-fiber-reinforced composite. The UV-resistant composite reportedly exceeds the metal requirements by a factor of three with less deflection.
The design cuts secondary operations and gauging, improves quality with better dimensional control, resists corrosion, and is eco-friendly and recyclable.
|
