Plastic intake manifolds molded from QUESTRA* crystalline polymer from Dow Automotive, have been specified for use on the 1.5L and 1.6L SOHC and 1.6L DOHC Lada vehicles, manufactured in Russia by Avtovaz. These are the first plastic intake manifolds in the Russian market and are the result of a cooperative effort between Avtovaz, its plastics’ molding supplier OAO Plastik in Syzran, Russia and Dow Automotive.

“Plastic intake manifolds are used on nearly 70 percent of all vehicles manufactured in Europe,” says Vyacheslav Meshkov, Deputy Division Manager for Gasoline Engines, Avtovaz. “We previously specified aluminum intake manifolds, but switched to thermoplastics in these applications primarily for cost and weight saving benefits along with other manufacturing efficiencies. Dow Automotive has supplied us in the past for other plastic applications on our vehicles and we knew they could help us find a solution for this under-the-hood application.”

The linear vibration welded plastic intake manifolds are molded from QUESTRA N, a 35% glass fiber reinforced grade of QUESTRA crystalline polymer that is a blend of syndiotactic polystyrene and polyamide. This material is ideally suited for replacing metal in under-the-hood applications as it offers excellent strength, stiffness, creep resistance and chemical resistance under extreme temperature operating environments.

“The material from Dow Automotive is a good solution not only for its strength and heat resistant properties, but also for its ease in processing and dimensional characteristics that are essential to the molding operation,” says Anatoli Knyazev, Chief Engineer, OAO Plastik. “Assistance from Dow Automotive in product development and validation also helped us create a solution that brought value to our customer.”

Dow Automotive has a world-class portfolio of plastics-enabled solutions for the automotive industry. This portfolio is backed up by in-house services that provide customers with a resource for comprehensive product design, computer aided engineering (CAE), prototyping and product testing. Design and testing encompasses everything from materials specification, mold-fill analysis, structural and acoustical assessment, to part performance validation and onsite process and technical support.

“Innovation and technical support are what really sets Dow Automotive apart as an automotive supplier.  We can act as a total solutions provider,” says Jim Cederstrom, Market Development Manager—Air Induction Systems, Dow Automotive. “In assisting Avtovaz and OAO Plastik from design through product launch, we were able to ensure our customers’ success not only with superior materials but also with program management, engineering, product design support, testing, validation and training.”

Dow Automotive is a leading supplier of plastics, adhesives, sealants and other plastics-enhanced products for interior, exterior, under-the-hood, vehicle body structure and acoustical management applications. The organization serves global tier, OEM and aftermarket customers. With offices and application development centers around the world, Dow Automotive provides materials science expertise and comprehensive technical capabilities to its customers worldwide. For additional information about Dow Automotive products and services, visit www.dowautomotive.com. Dow Automotive is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.