Winners of the Automotive Innovation Awards Program, presented at the Awards Gala in Livonia, Michigan, on Nov. 4 have been announced by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Division (Troy, Mich., U.S.). Finalists, highlighted in October, spanned a variety of plastics and composites applications.
The Body Exterior Category winner is also this year’s Grand Award winner. The Grand Award winner is selected from the winners of each of the eight part categories by a panel of industry expert Blue Ribbon Judges. Congratulations to this year’s winners!
Grand Award & Body Exterior Category Winner:
Thermoplastic Truck Bed
- OEM Make & Model: 2026 Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota Tacoma
- Tier Supplier/Processor: Vuteq Corp./Vuteq Corp. and Cascade Engineering
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: BASF Corp./Haidlmair GmbH
- Material/Process: Ultramid B3ZG10 HSP UV CCYD5 BK30564 PA6/injection molding
This one-piece PA6 truck bed is reported to be the first injection molded composite bed designed to compete with steel and thermoset beds. At roughly 30 kilograms per shot, it is also believed to be the largest injection molded automotive part. BASF developed an impact-modified, 50% glass fiber-reinforced PA6 for flow, stiffness and 8 years of UV stability. A 105-micron molded-in grain eliminates A-side paint. Composite cross members and steel compression limiters are overmolded in the same cycle. Toyota and Engel designed a 12,000-ton press to handle the 125-ton, 36-drop mold. Compared with SMC, the bed saves 0.6 kilogram and about 7% in part cost, despite higher tooling cost. The part contains chemically recycled material, and all manufacturing scrap is recyclable.
Body Interior Winner:
Structural Console Bracket
- OEM Make & Model: 2027 General Motors Co. Chevrolet Bolt EV
- Tier Supplier/Processor: US Farathane
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: Washington Penn/Delta Tooling Inc.
- Material/Process: PRC100G2.5M1.5 PP + PIR/injection molding
Structural console bracket.
A single injection molded bracket replaces a three-piece welded steel assembly as the structural bridge between the front and rear sections of a two-piece floor console. The bracket ties both sections to the lower body structure, controlling cross-car sway, cupholder shake and rattle while meeting a 900-Newton abuse load. The material is a 25% glass fiber-reinforced, 15% mineral-filled PP homopolymer with 60% recycled content. Optimized rib architecture in that material raises console modal frequency from 26.5 to 27.37 hertz. Piece cost falls 83%, and mass drops 45.8%, from 520.5 to 282 grams. Tooling lead time shrinks from 36 to 12 weeks, and eliminating multi-point welding removes weld-quality risk.
Chassis/Hardware Winner:
Composite Tunnel Reinforcement
- OEM Make & Model: 2026 Stellantis Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Tier Supplier/Processor: L&L Products
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: BASF Corp./L&L Products
- Material/Process: Ultramid B3Z HP RC02 BK00464 PIR PA6/pultrusion and injection overmolding
Composite tunnel reinforcement.
This underbody tunnel reinforcement transfers crash load from the outer sill rail to the transmission crossmember in small-overlap and side-pole impacts, keeping the tire out of the occupant space. A pultruded insert with 80% continuous glass fiber is overmolded with high-impact nylon. It delivers performance comparable to ultra-high strength steel at one-quarter the weight. The first composite version cut mass 40% versus stamped steel. This next generation fits a new package with higher loads. It carries more than 100 kilonewtons, with 20% higher strength and a further mass reduction of more than 10%. A new PA6 with 60% PIR content cuts carbon footprint 80% and improves impact performance 89%. Eliminating one compression limiter saves half a pound of nylon.
Electric and Autonomous Vehicle Systems Winner:
Cosmetic and Structural GMT Frunk
- OEM Make & Model: 2027 General Motors Co. GMC Hummer EV
- Tier Supplier/Processor: Hanwha Advanced Materials
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: Hanwha Advanced Materials/Dong-A ENG Co. Ltd. and Kyungwon ENG Co. Ltd.
- Material/Process: Profuse30 GMT and UD45 GMT/compression molding
GMT frunk.
Tthis Hummer EV frunk replaces 1.8-density structural SMC with 1.2-density glass mat thermoplastic (GMT). A 30% glass GMT forms the body. Robot-placed 45% unidirectional (UD) glass GMT locally reinforces the floor to carry a 75-kilogram knee load with minimal body support and no more than 10 millimeters of deflection. One-shot compression molding delivers a Class A surface with no carpet. Ultrasonic welding replaces pumpable adhesives and enables end-of-life (EOL) recycling. Fiber length, orientation and placement were controlled to optimize structural performance without compromising dimensional stability. Mass fell 34.2%, cost fell 33.75% and the part reached 100% PPAP in 1 month.
Materials Winner:
Interior Door Handle Bezels
- OEM Make & Model: 2026 Ford Motor Co. Ford Everest
- Tier Supplier/Processor: Supavut Industry Co. Ltd.
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: BASF Corp./Sin Kwang Plastic Industries Sdn Bhd
- Material/Process: Ultramid D3K R01 BK 23361 PA/injection molding
Interior door handle bezels.
In a Ford first, a pre-colored, unfilled PA6 blend delivers high-gloss piano black door handle bezels with no paint and no rapid heat-and-cool tooling. Previous paint-free executions required specialty molds and presses. Here, a standard injection mold and press reproduce a mirror-polished cavity. A wall thickness flow leader places the weld line where it is nearly invisible, and the gating is designed for maximum cavity pressure without parting line flash. Additives provide scratch, mar and UV resistance for the four bezels per vehicle, which sit in extreme-touch zones. Replacing painted ABS eliminates paint racks, paint scrap and VOCs. The single-material part also simplifies EOL recycling.
Powertrain Winner:
Press-in-Place Engine Coolant Seal
- OEM Make & Model: 2027 General Motors Co. Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia
- Tier Supplier/Processor: Uchiyama Manufacturing America LLC
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: Zeon Corp./Uchiyama Manufacturing America LLC
- Material/Process: J7201R hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene terpolymer (HNBR)/injection molding
Engine coolant seal.
Compact engines place coolant and oil seals side by side. There, leaked oil swells traditional EPDM and risks coolant-oil mixing, overheating and engine seizure. This 3 × 5-millimeter seal uses a new HNBR terpolymer compound and is reported to be the industry’s first press-in-place coolant seal for a crankcase. Acrylonitrile provides chemical resistance, hydrogenated butadiene adds heat resistance and acrylic ester maintains performance from 135°C to -40°C. Swell in oil is only 2%, versus more than 50% for EPDM. Six thin stabilizer ribs prevent tipping in the groove, and four thick retention ribs prevent pop-out. The seal holds 30-psi coolant pressure and reduces weight and cost by about 30% each.
Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies Winner:
Thermoplastic Body Door Seal
- OEM Make & Model: 2027 Volvo Cars Volvo EX60
- Tier Supplier/Processor: Cooper Standard
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: Mitsubishi Chemical, Celanese and Ravago/Cooper Standard
- Material/Process: Tefabloc TPE-S, Santoprene TPV and Scolefin PP/extrusion and carrier corrugation
Thermoplastic body seal door.
FlexiCore is reported to be the first fully thermoplastic body door seal. It replaces the steel or aluminum carrier of traditional EPDM seals with Cooper Standard’s patented corrugated thermoplastic carrier. The 100% recyclable TPV, TPS and PP construction eliminates EPDM curing and spray coating and meets dynamic sealing requirements. It also adds a co-extruded skin that can be colored to match interior trim. Linear weight falls from 511 to 286 grams/meter, a 44% reduction worth 2.7 kilograms per four-door set and frunk seals drop 31%. Carbon emissions fall 20%. Greater flexibility around corners speeds assembly up to 20%, and operators handle about a quarter ton less material per 200-vehicle shift.
Sustainability Winner:
Fuel Pump Module Subcomponents
- OEM Make & Model: 2026 Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota Tundra
- Tier Supplier/Processor: Aisan Industry Co. Ltd./Enplas America Inc.
- Material Supplier/Toolmaker: Celanese/Enplas America Inc.
- Material/Process: Celcon ECO-C M90 C872 POM/injection molding
Fuel pump module subcomponents.
Toyota Tundra fuel pump module subcomponents now use Celanese Celcon ECO-C M90, in what is reported to be the first automotive application of carbon-captured POM. CO2 captured from industrial emissions is combined with hydrogen to make methanol and then POM, cutting the material’s production CO2 by 90%. The resin is chemically identical to standard M90, with matching flow, modulus, strength, impact and heat deflection values. As a result, the switch required no mold, molding condition or design changes. Toyota approval took 2 months instead of the typical 2-3 years. Production began in April 2026. It reduces module carbon footprint 4% now, with a 30% target by 2029.
Visit the SPE website for more information about this year’s Automotive Innovation Awards.
Source: www.compositesworld.com
