Automotive industry supplier Bosal-Oris N.A. has contracted with Hydro to provide the extruded aluminum frame for its wind deflector for convertibles.
The wind deflector reduces air turbulence and wind noise by up to 50 percent around the front seat occupants, providing a quieter, more comfortable ride. This can extend the driving season, make the air conditioner work more efficiently, and improve the sound from the stereo system.
The Bosal-Oris N.A. wind deflector consists of three major elements – the extruded aluminum frame supplied by Hydro, the mesh areas that deflect the wind, and injection molded parts used to connect the wind-deflector and attach it to the vehicle. The extruded components are manufactured using standard 6063 aluminum alloy which provides excellent bending characteristics. The profiles are extruded at Hydro’s Phoenix, Arizona, plant using billet from our own, on-site, remelt plant. The Phoenix remelt plant produces primary-grade billet containing more than 70 percent recycled content.
The extruded components are trucked to the Hydro plant in Guaymas, Mexico, where they are bent to form the frame, cut to length, drilled and deburred. The work is labor-intensive and requires a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail since the metal frame is exposed on the finished product.
New equipment and techniques used to make a perfect bend
To accommodate the extremely tight tolerances required for the bend, Hydro purchased a new bending machine that allowed the operators to set tighter key controls.
One of the biggest challenges the Hydro team faced was figuring out the best way to support the extrusion so that it wouldn’t be damaged during the bending operation. Initially, the technicians experimented with plastic strips to support the metal, but the result was not satisfactory.
Then the technicians tried filling the extrusion with alternative media to support the metal. After some tweaking to identify the right media and machine adjustments, a perfect bend, preserving the outside surface of the extruded component was achieved.
Shipping, powder coating and assembly
The completed frame components are packaged and shipped to Bosal-Oris N.A. in Georgia for powder coating and assembly into the completed wind deflector (with the addition of mesh).
The wind deflector represents a specialist product line for Bosal-Oris N.A. The company has many versions on the market and they are to be found in convertibles across the World. Two wind deflectors designed and built in the USA for the USA market are for the Lexus IS and the Mustang. The Mustang is sold as an aftermarket product while the Lexus version is supplied for OEM dock installation when the automobiles arrive in port from overseas.
In addition to the wind deflectors, Bosal and it’s subsidiary Bosal-Oris N.A. are among the world's leading manufacturers of tow bars, complete exhaust systems for passenger cars, catalytic converters, complete exhaust systems for trucks and industrial applications, roof bars and roof racks, jacks and toolkits, precision steel tubing and warehouse racking systems. The company is headquartered in Belgium. It employs more than 6,000 people and has 37 manufacturing plants and 27 distribution centers. For more information on Bosal’s North American operations, visit www.bosalna.com, or www.mywindstop.com.
