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Lora: In a Material World
September/1/2009 at 11:49 am
Lora and her baby daughter
Lora Herron: Materials engineer in GM’s Design for Environment group
What makes me happy: Spending time with my family
Favorite hobby: Gardening and landscaping
I miss: Playing basketball. I still use the teamwork and self-motivation skills that I learned through the sport every day in my work-life.
As a materials engineer, I identify recycled and renewable materials to use in GM vehicles. My work gives customers more sustainable vehicles and helps reduce GM’s environmental footprint.
We use recycled materials from numerous sources, such as old water bottles, blue jeans, and carpet, as well as from old bumpers and tires. These recycled materials make their way into vehicle parts like mud flaps, engine covers, door handle support brackets, and exterior mirror components.
For example, the HVAC vent coverings in the 2010 Cadillac SRX are made from recycled water bottles and the air inlet panel (where the windshield meets the hood) on the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is made from recycled bumpers.
In the case of renewable or bio-based materials, we can use materials made from a variety of agricultural waste products and other natural fibers such as flax, jute and balsa wood.
The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox uses kenaf, a natural fiber similar to hemp, as a filler in the headliner to help improve interior acoustics. The fibers are long, durable and sustainable, since they don’t require a lot of nutrients or maintenance to grow.
I spend a lot of time visiting suppliers’ facilities and inspecting their manufacturing processes and quality control measures. Once I know they have a quality product, I work with GM’s Materials Test Labs to verify its performance and durability. I also work with design engineers to decide which GM vehicles will use it and where.
Lora, husband Bill and their kids
As a mom of two young children, I follow the same environmental values at home as I do as work. I love enjoying the outdoors with my kids and want my family to do our part to preserve our environment. I’ve already taught my two-year-old son how to recycle – and when my daughter is old enough, I’ll do the same with her.
I’ve been with GM for seven years and have worked with some really fantastic people across the globe. It takes a lot of teamwork to get the job done, and makes me feel good knowing I help make GM vehicles a little better for the environment—one part at a time.
Shawn Poirier
Sep 2nd, 2009
My father worked for GM for 28 and 1/2 years. Forced to retire early. I’m sure he would say the same thing that I’m about to say.
For all the cars that are made for North America, every part should be MADE IN NORTH AMERICA.
What better way to be environmental, than by cutting down on the fuels that transport parts 1000’s of kilometres, that can be made for only a little bit more right here in North America.
I would love to see you work on that.
P.S. I’m not a hypocrit. I search out and find practically everything that I own to be made in Canada, if not the U.S.A. – clothing, furniture, stereo equipment – you name it. It may cost a little more, but my family, friends, neighbours and country appreciate it, and benefit from it.
owned many gm cars
Sep 8th, 2009
Uh oh an interior materials engineer, I wouldn’t tell the people publicly you do that job. Lets begin why. Interior door panels that are a pain to clean because they grab and hold dirt where your feet hit them. Random latches and hinges that break for know reason because they are not durable. Cup holder liners that don’t stay installed. Give me a break if cup holder can’t be designed right. Cheap plastic caps to hold the cargo net and trunk mat in vehicles such as the lucerne. These caps practically crumble in your hands. Decades of cars with engines mounts that rott,sag,break apart. Paint that always peels off the beauty covers of engines. Why bother put the paint on logos in the first place. Door panels with tabs more fragile than crystal glass. Only to break when you have to replace the broken window motor or loose window brackets that were not engineered to go up and down to much. Radio knobs that the paint wears off of. Dash boards that crack. HVAC fin hinges that will eventually break apart from a few uses. Seats with stitching that can’t take the abuse of people sliding across to get in out and out of a car. Leather interior that cracks apart even with proper conditioning treatments. Plastic carpets that still stain. The random dash panels and interior trim that never seems to stay installed. As you can I tell I owned many GM cars.
joe
Sep 8th, 2009
Don’t forget to add door handles that break off in your hands
Response to "Joe" and "owned many gm cars"
Sep 9th, 2009
“Joe” and “owned many gm cars” –
Your views represent the product GM has occasionally put on the road in the past. Out with thye old, and in with the New GM Company. The culture has changed, and it needed to.
Current GM cars rank up there with the best makes and models on the road…look at the surveys. They are designing in quality and beauty into their vehicles, unmatched. I am a GM Engineer and come from a family of lifetime GM drivers. We have seen first hand the improvement in the new products.
It’s time to get over yourselves, end your grudges, and take a vehicle for a ride and see for yourself.
not old yet
Sep 14th, 2009
Last time I checked GM still has the same 36k mile warranty on its interiors. The reason its still 36k is because they still fall apart. Remember the same person is still picking the materials for the interiors as when the cars were garbage. The duration of the warranty is justified by the quality of the garbage some one is producing. Why do you think the powertrain has a 100k mile warranty and the interior does not. That because the materials engineers pick poor quality materials and the design are ment to break with repeated use. Thus a much lower warranty on interiors because GM would go bankrupt again making up for the warranty coverage on these components.
frank
Dec 6th, 2009
Hi! Great Blog. I will bookmark.
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