Automotive electronics

Asbestos fibers have likewise been used in reinforcement of plastics such as poly(vinyl chloride), phenoHcs, polypropylene, nylon, etc. Reinforcement of both thermoset and thermoplastic resins by asbestos fibers has been practiced to develop products for the automotive, electronic, and printing industries. 

Lucas PLC 1994 Identification and Elimination of Critical Characteristics. Engineering and Design Procedures, No. QP219, Lucas Automotive Electronics, Solihull. 

There are many applications for silicone adhesives, sealants, or coatings where the condensation curing systems are not suitable. This is because they are relatively slow to cure, they require moisture to cure that can itself be in some cases uncontrollable, and they evolve by-products that cause shrinkage. Adhesives needed in automotive, electronics, microelectronics, micro electromechanical systems, avionic, and other hi-tech applications are usually confined to vei7 small volumes, which can make access to moisture difficult. Also, their proximity to very sensitive mechanical or electronic components requires a system that does not evolve reactive chemicals. 

Optical components for automotive, electronics, photography, binoculars, sunglasses, watch glasses, lenses, magnifying glasses, camera lenses. .. 

Structural foams are made of a cellular core with a dense skin. The technique is used for industrial and aesthetic goods for the automotive, electronics, household appliance and aeronautics sectors, such as housings of machines, TV cabinets, computer housings, roofs for caravans or ships, hard tops of 4WD (Jeep), luggage boxes, parts for washing machines. Structural foams are processed by thermoplastic injection moulding using ... 

An essential ingredient in the innovation history in the area of chemicals is, however, doubtless the development of recipes for preparations and their specific adaptation to the requirements of fast-moving manufacturing processes, for example in the automotive, electronics, printing and paper industries. This occurs mainly on the basis of the existing inventory of primary materials. 

Equipment and instrumentation developments in automotive, electronics, and wood-processing industries... 

China accounts for thirteen percent of the world chemical market, with sales of EUR 141 billion. Consumption is expected to grow at between eight and nine percent per annum over the next ten years - already substantially lower than in the relatively recent past (Fig. 32.1). Consumption growth is driven mainly by textile and clothing end-user industries, followed by automotive, electronic goods, and industrial machinery. By 2015, the Chinese market will have a volume of more than EUR 370 billion and account for more than a fifth of the world s market share. In other words, it will be on a par with the US or Western European markets. 

Fig. 4.38 Planar sensor format (adapted from the Automotive Electronics Handbook, 1994).

Burning may be considered another means of oxidation. Non-burning plastics are a must in commercial constructions according to building codes and are often required for automotive, electronic, and electrical applications. From the numerous thermoplastics, only the halogen-containing polymers, polyamides, polycarbonate, poly(phenylene oxide), polysulfone, and polyimides are self-extinguishing. Even these, such as poly (vinyl chloride), may become flammable when plasticized with a flammable plasticizer. Fire control can be the key to volume use of plastics. Polyester panels, urethane foam, and PVC tarpaulins account for nearly 90% of all fire retardants consumed. Consumption in 1967... 

The amount of plastic waste generated is still considerably less than that of plastics produced in numerous applications (building, furniture, appliances) plastics meet longterm requirements before their disposal and therefore do not yet occur in the waste stream in big quantities. The majority of plastic wastes are found in municipal solid waste (MSW), as well as in waste streams arising in distribution, agriculture, construction and demolition, furniture and household ware, automotive, electronic and electrical, or medical applications. For a number of years the APME has ordered studies to be made that compile inventories of on the one hand production figures, on the other waste arising, by resin, country, and application and activity. 

As more automotive mechanical functions are converted to electronic and electrical functions, and as recently introduced hybrid vehicles (which use internal combustion engines in conjunction with electric drive motors) and emerging fuel cell based electric vehicles (which use electric motors alone without internal combustion engines) become more common, these vehicles will use high power motor controls and drive electronics that will likely dissipate kilowatts of thermal energy. A thermal power dissipation summary for many current and future automotive electronic systems is shown in Figure 8. 

Figure 8 Current and future thermal power dissipation in automotive electronic systems [10]...

Figure 9 Application of heat pipe technology for automotive electronics [11]...

Myers, B. A., 2003, Cooling Issues for Automotive Electronics, Electronics Cooling, Volume... 

Recent interest not withstanding, the use of silicone gels to protect micro-circuitry is not new. Silicone gels have been used to protect various automotive electronic modules for a number of years. E. Sailer and A. Kennedy of IBM reported the use of a silicone gel to protect the circuitry of a non-hermetic module used in their IBM System/360 computers as early as 1966 (5). The objective of this paper is to give those unfamiliar with silicone materials a better understanding of the synthesis, chemistry and properties of silicone gels. 

The third major area for automotive sensors is in comfort systems. Besides entertainment (radios, CD-players, cassette-players), climate-control systems, adaptive cruise control, electronic positioning of mirrors, seats, etc., as well as navigation systems, are gaining in popularity. Figure 1.1 shows the development of automotive electronics from an historical perspective. 

It is also interesting to compare the automotive sensor market with the automotive electronics market, since they share the same driving forces and thus have similar dynamics. In comparing market figures, we should be aware that sensors do contain a significant and increasing amount of electronics, so some double counting may occur in the literature. 

According to a report of the German association of electrical engineers ZVEI, the automotive electronics market had a volume of 14.9 billion in 2000 and should grow to 23.9 billion in 2005. This is equivalent to a growth rate of 10% per year [5]. 

H. Weyl, Exhaust Gas Sensors in Automotive Electronics Handbook, chap.6, 2nd ed (R. K. Jurgen, ed.) McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, USA 1999. 

ReedLite. [Reed Plastics] Heavy metal-fiee colw cones. for automotive, electronic, mechanical industries. 

However, up to now, most flexible circuit boards have been based on either polyester or polyimide. While polyester (PET) is cheaper and offers lower thermal resistance (in most cases reflow soldering with standard alloys is not possible), polyimide (PI) is favored where assemblies have to be wave or reflow soldered (with standard alloys). On the other side, the relative costs for polyimide are 10 times higher than for polyester. Therefore, a wide gap between these two dominant materials has existed for a long time, prohibiting broad use of flexible circuits for extremely cost-sensitive, high-reliability applications like automotive electronics. Current developments in the field of flexible-base materials as well as the development of alternative solder alloys seem to offer a potential solution for this dilemma. 

Key markets for MID technology are automotive electronics and telecommunication. MIDs are also suitable for use in computers, household appliances, and medical technology. The market currently shows an annual growth rate of about 25%. 

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