Intake manifold made out of Vyncolit^® for new
7 series

For its part in the development of a unique intake manifold for the new eight-cylinder 7 series BMW(735i;745i), Vyncolit N.V., a market leader in mouldable phenolic composites (engineering phenolics), has received the 2002 Innovation Award from AVK-TV, the German Composite Federation.

Development of the manifold was a co-operative project between the automaker BMW Group, system supplier Pierburg AG, component manufacturer Baumgarten GmbH and Vyncolit N.V., the materials supplier. The challenge was to develop an eight-cylinder petrol engine that would generate an increased level of torque compared to that of its predecessor. Key to achieving this was the introduction of a unique, continuously variable intake manifold, injection moulded in Vyncolit’s glass fibre reinforced engineering phenolic.

At the outset the system supplier took the decision to develop the complete system in engineering thermoplastics in order to take advantage of both the weight and cost savings they offered. Initially the intake unit, comprising eight-cylinder air inlets and eight specially shaped rotors, was prototyped in materials such as glass fibre reinforced PPS and PPA. However, these failed because of the complexity of the construction and the materials’ lack of dimensional stability at the elevated temperatures demanded for the application.

Further trials led to the selection of Vyncolit moudable phenolic composite because it provided an optimum balance of thermo-mechanical properties, including high elastic modulus even at 140°C, a temperature at which engineering thermoplastics exhibit a significant reduction in stiffness.

Working in partnership with both Pierburg and Baumgarten, Vyncolit proposed its glass fibre/bead reinforced Vyncolit X7250 material for the unit housing. The filler combination of this grade, together with the easy flow of phenolic resin provided for optimum mouldability and dimensional stability.

For the rotors Vyncolit suggested its high performance Vyncolit X6952 grade, a 55% high glass fibre reinforced phenolic compound, giving excellent mechanical and thermal performance. Additionally, optimised binding between the phenolic resin and glass fibres delivered the high dynamic properties required by the parts.

Moreover, the low density of the Vyncolit material combined with an average wall thickness of only 3mm for the housing, resulted in the complete plastic unit weighing only 5 kg including metal inserts. In making the Award, the AVK-TV jury made special mention of the optimised design of the unit with regard to function and weight.

Reader enquiries

Vyncolit N.V.
Nieuwevaart 51
B-9000 Gent
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)9 265.27.77
Fax: +32 (0)9 265.28.81

E-mail: vyncolit@sumitomobakelite.com
Web: www.vyncolit.com

Sumitomo Bakelite North America, Inc.
46820 Magellan Drive, Suite C
Novi, MI 48377
USA
Tel: +1 248 313 7000
Fax: +1 248 313 7027

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Notes for editors

Vyncolit N.V., a specialist in the field of thermoset chemistry and a leading supplier of moudable phenolic composites, is the principal company in the Perstorp Group’s Engineering Materials Division. The Sweden-based Perstorp Group is a world-class specialty chemicals and performance resins company, with production centres in eight countries, in Europe, Asia and North America, employing some 2,100 personnel. In the last financial year the Group had sales of approximately SEK 7 billion (US$756 million).

Vyncolit is a registered trade mark of Vyncolit N.V., Belgium.