Toyoda Gosei has developed a turbo duct made entirely of plastic. This reduces weight by half and will contribute to the environmental performance of automobiles. The new lightweight plastic turbo duct is used on the new HiAce for international markets that Toyota Motor Corporation launched in February 2019.
Turbo ducts are used in sending compressed air to cylinders to raise engine output. They have conventionally been made of several metal, rubber and plastic sections to ensure high pressure and heat resistance as well as the ability to absorb engine vibration.
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For the new all-plastic turbo duct, Toyoda Gosei has adopted a suction blow moulding technique capable of forming the long, complex duct shape to mould the entire duct of plastic, and achieved a weight reduction of about 50%. Use of the soft plastic for the material and design modifications such as a bellows shape in some sections ensure the duct’s pressure and heat resistance and vibration absorption performance.
With its expertise as a specialist in the field of rubber and plastics, Toyoda Gosei says it will continue to actively pursue lighter weight products and other new technologies.
