"Introduction Plastics application technology deals with the paradigm of replacing any material such as metal@ glass@ and ceramics with plastics in a new or existing application. Application technology helps to position a new plastic material@ as it is developed@ for a new application; conversely@ it directs new material development from the application requirements. Traditionally@ metal had been the primary choice for any auto build because it carried a rich legacy of knowledge@ expertise@ and infrastructure not only for its manufacturing but also for its target applications. In addition@ metal offered a variety of benefits such as mechanical strength@ stiffness@ high-temperature performance@ and better dimensional stability. It possessed resistance to ultraviolet rays and@ more importantly@ carried ""perceived quality"" in the eyes of the end customer. And last but not least@ it has proven itself as a reliable material over time. However@ with auto design trends getting influenced by factors such as competitive cost model@ styling differentiation@ and driving comfort in general@ and weight reduction@ regulation-based safety compliance@ and eco-friendliness [1-1] in particular@ thermoplastics emerged as the candidate material for automotive applications. When the cost and complexity of plastic and metal parts are compared@ the cost of the latter increases dramatically as the part complexity increases [1-2]. When the forming complexity increases@ the cost and performance advantages are arguably in favor of plastics. In general@ plastics can offer various advantages on the performance front@ including weight reduction@ parts consolidation@ design freedom@ ease of incorporation of new functionality@ and resistance to corrosion and dents. On the cost side@ this material can result in system-level cost reduction@ elimination of secondary operations@ ease of fabrication@ shortened production cycle time@ and higher tool life (for more details@ see Section 1.4)."