Door-Trim Local Reinforcement with Tapes

To improve mechanical properties in select locations on this door-trim panel, unidirectional glass/PP tapes were added locally late in the program. While contributing less than 1% to part mass, the tapes improved impact, stiffness, and strength by a factor of 5 without need to change tooling. Tapes are inserted into the tool via automatic fixation and held in place prior to overmolding via magnet or glue. The technique can be applied to either injection or compression molding; when the tapes are designed in earlier in the program, they provide opportunities for cost and mass reduction.

OEM/Vehicle Ford Motor Co. 2014 Ford Transit Courier van System Supplier Fompak Material Processor Fompak

Material Supplier Celanese Resin Celstran CFR-TP PP-GF 70-13 PP/Glass Tape Tooling/Equipment Supplier Zimmermann

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