Course detail
Application of Polymers in the Automotive Industry
FSI-HAP Acad. year: 2024/2025 Winter semester
The course focuses on the practical issues of the polymer component production in the automotive industry and the related requirements according to the ISO TS 16949. Some typical causes and solutions of defects occurring in polymer products produced by injection technology are analysed. The students will learn how to search and detect the defects of injected products, the causes of defects, the possibilities of their elimination and the ways of how to prevent the defects of these products in terms of structural design of the moulds. At the same time a practical overview of the subsequent connection of plastic products is done, where the students will be familiar with the most common ways of connecting parts in lighting technology, such as gluing and laser welding. The training systems reflecting the practical tasks of the glued and welded joints, subsequent testing techniques and the important factors affecting the quality of the connection will be presented. The essential part of the plastic materials is their surface finishes that will be presented in the form of painting and metallic nano-layered coatings, including the necessary pre-treatment of the surface before technological processes. Students will be learnt the problem of surface finishes not only in view of the visual final finish of plastic components, but also as an important physic-chemical or mechanical treatment of the surface with effect on surface integrity. Production of components made from polymers is in the automotive industry linked with the general principles applied onto the quality planning and the subsequent manufacturing process. Students will learn the methodology for the control and testing plans and the application of quality tools in the current practical application of the preparation work for the customer and certification audit, according to the automotive standard ISO TS 16949.
Supervisor
Department
Learning outcomes of the course unit
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of polymers and related processing technology, basic knowledge of metrology, mathematical statistics and planning of experiments.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
Completion of the course: graded credit
Student requirements: attendance + seminar work elaborated individually or in a team (according to the number of registered students)
All of exercise lesson are obligatory. The student’s own work and knowledge is assessed in practicals. According to the studied topic some lessons will be practicals – carried out in the lab, and some will be focused on the theory – calculations carried out in the classroom in a seminar form. Absence from seminars should be substituted for by attending a seminar with another study group or individually by the agreement with the teacher. Lessons may be occasionally inspected by the head of the department.
Language of instruction
Czech
Aims
The course is conceived to enable the future engineers and specialists in the automotive industry to apply systematically the methods for the early planning of the quality and the methods for the experiments in designing of a product. Furthermore, a significant proportion of polymers and the associated process of planning, including the shortening the development cycle and the smooth launch of the series production is included. In terms of compliance with the qualitative requirements for the polymer components in the area of automotive industry, the part of the knowledge is to determine the causes of defects and related technological measurement for forming tools, and the knowledge of component connection made from polymers forming the final product.
Students are trained in manufacturing process of the parts made from polymers and in related specifics for the automotive industry. They will be able to determine the causes of product defects, to solve the follow-up measures in the press tools and to know the procedural relations within ISO TS 16949.
Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
The study programmes with the given course
Programme C-AKR-P: , Lifelong learning
branch CZS: , 4 credits, elective
Programme N-STG-P: Manufacturing Technology, Master's
branch MTS: Modern Technologies of Lighting Systems, 4 credits, compulsory
Type of course unit
Lecture
26 hours, optionally
Syllabus
1. Products produced by injection moulding
2. Defects of the injected products
3. Defects of the injected products in practise
4. Surface finish of plastic materials
5. Gluing and laser welding
6. Screw and other connections on headlights
7. Risk management and moderation techniques
8. Design and Process FMEA
9. Design of Experiments / Taguchi and Brainstorming
10. The creation of basic documents for the new workplace
11. Preparation for the release of workplace I
12. Preparation for the release of workplace II
13. The monitoring of the workplace in series production – efficiency etc.
Exercise
26 hours, compulsory
Syllabus
1. Products produced by injection moulding
2. Defects of the injected products
3. Defects of the injected products in practise
4. Surface finish of plastic materials
5. Gluing and laser welding
6. Screw and other connections on headlights
7. Risk management and moderation techniques
8. Design and Process FMEA
9. Design of Experiments / Taguchi and Brainstorming
10. The creation of basic documents for the new workplace
11. Preparation for the release of workplace I
12. Preparation for the release of workplace II
13. The monitoring of the workplace in series production – efficiency etc.