It's 1971, and Ford Motor Company wants to claim that it's the heavyweight champion of the automotive industry. The only problem is that Ford's vehicles are literally heavyweights. A new law requires all bumpers to withstand a 5 mph impact, forcing Ford to bulk up its already massive steel bumpers. Facing increasingly stiff competition, Ford needs a solution-fast.
They call on Allan Murray (E'67, '70) and the Ford Research and Development team to trim the fat. Putting his recently inked PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Science to use, Murray advises Ford to use thermoplastic to replace bulky steel with durable, lightweight, and cost-effective plastic. The innovation proves genius. It soon protects the front and rear of the car lines and allows Ford to mass-produce sleeker and more aerodynamic vehicles-a happy byproduct of an integrated molded plastic bumper.
After a career that spanned 40 years and several more creative contributions, the Society of Plastics Engineers has honored Murray with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
-Nicholas Ducassi (A'10)
