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Automotive Industries, Sept, 2002 by Andrea Wielgat, John Peter

The Baja bed is made of steel with an integrated plastic liner, a duel-illumination bed light and four tie-down hooks, with parts supplied by Japan's CKD. Additionally, it has notches to create different loads levels.

MATERIALS

2003 Toyota Land Cruiser debuts polymer bumper

The new Toyota Land Cruiser bumper debuts the first use of TSOP (Toyota Super Olefin Polymer) as a bumper material on a large SUV. The polymer creates a bumper that is stronger, yet thinner and lighter than other materials. TSOP bumpers offer better recycleability and later the material can be used to make new plastic parts for interiors and trim.

ELECTRONICS

GM Class II Electrical Architecture cuts wires, splices and problems

GM's Class II electrical architecture is a highly integrated system of zone modules all linked by a serial data communications network By multiplexing, one common wire can be used to transmit information to several different areas through a serial bus network. The use of integrated circuitry eliminates the necessity for hard wiring and greatly reduces the number of wires and splices in the vehicle also reducing the potential for problems.

About 5 pounds of copper wiring was eliminated from each vehicle, with the weight being put back in as added content, such as the amplifier for the new Bose sound system.

Programming the functions into computer modules also enabled the upgrading of the AC system into a full climate control system and allows for options like a DVD entertainment system, rear air conditioning controls and adjustable pedals. Delphi supplies the 21 modules per vehicle.

An added benefit of the architecture is that the computers not only talk to each other but also monitor each other. If the HVAC module needs to know the coolant temperature it sends a request for information out to the PCM that controls the coolant system. If after three requests, it doesn't receive a reply, it sends out a fault code and alerts the driver that there is a problem. When a technician plugs the vehicle into a diagnostic computer, the correct code can be read and repairs can be made. The repair may be as simple as adjusting the software code in the module. GM says the system will be a warranty saver for the company.

GM plans to utilize this 'open ended' architecture even more in the future.

"The beauty of this architecture," says Jeny Blackburn, program engineer, "is that once you have the bus out there then you can add modules as you need them."

"If we want to do something additional in '04," adds Blackburn, "we design the new module then program it to talk to the other modules before we put it out on the bus."

It's similar, he says, to adding a CD-ROM drive to your home computer.

The argument for 42-volts is the addition of more electronic components to future vehicles, and though the system could be adapted to the new 42-volt architecture, Blackburn doesn't see it as a 0necessity.

"If you ran a pure 42-volt system," he says, "you'd have to redesign the power supply in each module." But Blackburn says that there's plenty of room for expansion within a 12-volt system.