PRESS RELEASE
Fog-lamp bezel with integrated aero feature
Ford Mustang reduces weight, improves high-speed handling thanks to
a unique one-piece fog-lamp bezel using Styrolution’s Luran® S

Unique integrated aero feature improves vehicle aerodynamics for better fuel
economy and road handling

Parts consolidation saves weight, reduces costs, and speeds assembly

Luran S® 777K ASA resin meets demanding Ford performance and aesthetic
requirements, as well as weight targets

Styrolution and Flex-N-Gate collaborated with Ford Motor Co. to help develop
this application, which is being translated to other Ford vehicles
Aurora, IL – December 18, 2015 – A unique one-piece fog-lamp bezel with integrated wheel
aero curtains saves nearly 1 lb/0.45 kg of weight and improves aerodynamics on the 2015
model year (MY) Ford Mustang. The component is injection molded by Flex-N-Gate Corp.
using Luran® S, an acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) resin from Styrolution. It is mounted
below the bumper fascia on the front of the vehicle and helps improve fuel economy as well
as handling while retaining the vehicle's distinctive front end. The new part has been so
successful that it already is being implemented on other Ford vehicles.
Styrolution Group GmbH, Erlenstrasse 2, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
globalinfo@styrolution.com, www.styrolution.com
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Key points:

Unique integrated aero feature improves fuel economy: The part features vertical
slots in front corners by left- and right-side fog lamps that function as dedicated air
channels, capturing and directing incoming air to vents in the front wheel wells. As the
high-speed curtain of air flows across the wheels, it reduces turbulence caused by
wheel rotation, which aids fuel efficiency, increases downforce, and improves road
handling and stability at higher speeds.

Parts consolidation reduces weight and cost, saves assembly time and tooling
investment: Traditional fog-lamp bezels have been multi-piece assemblies with 3-4
brackets and separate air ducts that had to be sonically welded to the bezel during a
post-mold finishing step. However, by integrating the duct into the fog lamp bezel and
the B-side of the fog-lamp bracket along with the park/turn lamp assembly, all
functional benefits are maintained or improved while lowering mass 20 percent and
reducing part complexity. In turn, this has helped Ford save 30-seconds assembly
time at the company's assembly plant due to elimination of the separate brackets.
The idea for the integrated design came from Vince Carnes, release engineer at Ford
who recalls he was benchmarking different vehicles to determine how many pieces
made up various assemblies and thought that the fog-lamp bezel assembly could
benefit from parts consolidation.

Demanding performance and aesthetic requirements drove material selection:
The part had to meet demanding performance specifications including both 49CFR
Part 581/ECE R42 Low Speed Impact as well as GTR-9 Pedestrian Lower Leg (TRL)
requirements. It also required dimensional stability over a broad temperature range
and the strength to hold fog lamps without juddering during driving while also meeting
noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) targets. Another important property was stiffness to
prevent sagging across the 500mm/19.7-inch long, 450mm/17.7-inch tall,
240mm/9.45-inch deep part with 3.0mm/0.118 inch nominal wall. Further, the part
needed good heat-aging properties, resistance to automotive chemicals and road
salts, and resistance to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight, which is very important
as this is an unpainted exterior part. During the two-year development period, all
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design and computer-aided simulation work, as well as physical testing, including
wind-tunnel evaluation, was done in-house at the automaker achieving good
correlation between predicted and measured properties.

Collaborative innovation leads to the right material and molding solutions:
Styrolution worked with both Flex-N-Gate and Ford to help identify the right Luran S
grade to meet design as well as manufacturing targets for the application. The grade
chosen was Luran S 777K in black. This unreinforced, easy-flow, injection-molding
grade provided excellent physical and mechanical properties to meet the application's
requirements as well as cost targets. Luran S products offer excellent heat-aging
properties, which protect against loss of mechanical and aesthetic properties caused
by prolonged exposure to temperature fluctuations. It also features a special UVstabilization package for enhanced weatherability to preserve part aesthetics even
under heavy exposure to sun, wind, rain, ice, and snow. Thanks to excellent
dimensional stability and minimal warpage, parts produced with this material also are
able to meet Ford’s stringent gap requirements.

Final part weight for models with fog lamps was 0.890 pounds/0.404 kilograms and
for models without fog lamps was 0.935 pounds/0.424 kg.

Luran S resin is ideal for exterior automotive parts: Components, such as the
Ford fog lamp bezel with aero curtain benefit from Luran S resin's balanced property
profile, including dimensional stability, strength, stiffness, and impact resistance.
These properties ensure the aero feature is able to provide consistent mechanical
performance while lowering mass, saving money, eliminating secondary operations,
and speeding assembly. These polymers are also widely used in radiator grilles,
fascia brackets, lawn & garden equipment, and construction components.
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Quotes:
Tom Cousins, Sales Director - Automotive, Styrolution: “We were honored to be able to
participate in the development of this unique fog lamp bezel with an aero curtain on such an
iconic American sports car. There is no stronger endorsement of the effectiveness of this
design, material, and process combination than the fact that Ford is now translating it to
other vehicle platforms."
ABOUT STYROLUTION
Styrolution is the leading, global styrenics supplier with a focus on styrene monomer,
polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and
more than 80 years of experience, Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering the
best possible solution, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets. The
company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of
industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare,
toys/sports/leisure, and packaging. In 2014, sales were at 5.4 billion euros. Styrolution
employs approximately 3,100 people and operates 15 production sites in nine countries.
For further information please visit www.styrolution.com.
CONTACT
Julia Herzog
Manager Marketing Communications
Styrolution Group GmbH
Erlenstrasse 2
60325 Frankfurt
Germany
Phone: +49 069 509550-1221
Email:
julia.herzog@styrolution.com
Website: www.styrolution.com
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