HEYCO-Smart Plastics
HEYCO Smart Plastics stand for the intelligent integration of different functions or materials in complex assemblies to the highest level of perfection. This primarily refers to key HEYCO components from the engine compartment, exterior or interior, which in many cases have been in series production for decades, yet are dynamically developed from one vehicle generation to the next. HEYCO relies on state-of-the-art production and automation technology for the central components in order to meet the requirements of the automotive industry in every respect – or at best, to exceed them. HEYCO is regularly the benchmark for complex multi-component parts under the hood and media management components.
Air-water management: multi-component covers with integrated functions
The safe separation of air for air conditioning purposes and rainwater run-off is the central task of air-water management. HEYCO accompanies the creation of the necessary assemblies from the design, simulation and development phase through the various load tests in the in-house rain chamber to integrated production in the global manufacturing plants. In addition to decades of experience, our success factors are above all the short communication channels – internally and externally.
And yet even the most complex multi-component covers in air/water management only have the following purpose: to provide dry, hygienically perfect air without foreign odors for the air conditioning system and to collect and safely remove everything else – no more and no less.
Air-water management
Vehicle-independent development and testing for our customers in our rain chamber
Air-water management
Air intake systems/air conditioning
with molded flexible spout
Wiper water tank
Manufactured using clamshell technology or multi-tube technology with integrated filtration and fill level monitoring
Media management: high-end assemblies in series production
Reliability in its purest form
In addition to providing the coolant and the expansion volume, the main tasks of expansion tanks are to vent the coolant circuit and regulate the positive and negative pressure in the system.
HEYCO’s expertise lies in the details and there are many of them. For example, the integrated silica gel containers to prevent corrosion in the coolant circuit are manufactured in-house in series production, as are hybrid level sensors made from a combination of metal and plastic.
Over the years, HEYCO has made a name for itself with a particularly wide range of different solutions: expansion tanks for commercial vehicles with a volume of up to 20 liters as well as miniature tanks for passenger cars with a capacity of around 0.5 liters.
Expansion tank
Designed for series production with pressure and leak tests
Aerodynamics and aeroacoustics: efficiency, dynamics, comfort
Aerodynamics examines all the air flow processes that take place around a vehicle. To maximize aerodynamic efficiency, air resistance is minimized, among other things. This reduces fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions. HEYCO makes an important contribution to this by developing an optimum component geometry and by combining different materials.
The same applies to aeroacoustic components. Even with very good aerodynamics, the airstream leads to noise that must be minimized for reasons of comfort. HEYCO components are designed in such a way that noise is reduced accordingly or, at best, does not occur at all. Typical components that fall into this category can be found in the underbody area, in the bumpers or as water guards on the A-pillars.
Lightweight construction, certainly also a significant advantage of plastic components, will play a subordinate role in alternative drive concepts in the future, as acceleration energy is recovered during braking. However, losses due to unnecessarily high air resistance should be avoided.
Aerodynamics is therefore right at the top of HEYCO’s agenda.
Water trap strip
Underbody protection
with heat protection foil
Engine management: high-performance plastics neatly shaped
Increasing output and minimizing consumption are not contradictory. HEYCO components for the charge air cooling of turbocharged combustion engines are used to equip high-performance and racing engines as well as to support the downsizing of modern engines. Whereas in the first case, reducing the temperature of the combustion air increases performance and efficiency, downsizing achieves lower fuel consumption with the same performance characteristics by reducing the displacement through cooling.
The HEYCO development team works closely with our customers’ development engineers to design, simulate and test numerous engine components. In addition to flexible elements for vibration damping, the complex assembly modules often contain necessary bushings and threaded inserts, which are either inserted during the injection molding process or assembled afterwards.
In HEYCO’s ultra-clean production environment, components such as coolant lines, vacuum accumulators or charge air distribution systems are created that are not only compact and adapted to the engine compartment, but also allow a more dynamic engine response thanks to their design.
HEYCO engine components – things are heating up here.
Control unit holder
Oil guide tubes
Spring bleeder valve
Comfort valves for faster heating of the passenger compartment
Heat sources in the engine compartment and near the exhaust tract can lead to temperature problems if the components are not protected by appropriate heat protection mats. Depending on the application, different variants, thicknesses and resistances can be used. Thanks to the reflective aluminum surface, the material resists heat radiation without losing stability. With skillful construction, application temperatures of -40°C to > 330°C can be achieved, whereby the glass fabric itself is temperature-resistant up to 600°C.
CARL STEINMANN Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH, as part of the HEYCO Group, has gained a great deal of experience in solving problems for customers and in the production of such heat protection mats, so that today not only HEYCO injection-molded components made of technical plastics are used in many vehicles, but these are also directly completed with STEINMANN heat protection mats.
