Automotive Interior Skin Composition Eliminates Scoring for Airbag Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automotive interior skin manufacturing processes face challenges such as increased costs, longer cycle times, and labor costs due to skin scoring, which also expose seam lines, and lack a method to eliminate scoring from crash pads composed of skin, foam, and plastic core layers.
Innovation Solution
A composition for an automotive interior skin comprising 30 wt % to 70 wt % polyol compound, 5 wt % to 40 wt % dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate, and 5 wt % to 30 wt % aromatic glycol-based chain extender, along with optional additives, is used to create a skin layer that can be manufactured without scoring, utilizing powder slush molding for improved miscibility and moldability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If skin scoring process is applied to enable airbag deployment, then airbag deployment function is achieved, but process costs increase, process cycle time increases, and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the skin scoring process from the manufacturing workflow by using vacuum-formed fabric that inherently provides the necessary seam line structure for airbag deployment without requiring additional scoring operations, thereby reducing process cycle time and labor costs while maintaining airbag deployment functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum-formed fabric is pre-shaped during the molding process to include the necessary seam line structures and surface features that would traditionally require post-molding scoring, allowing airbag deployment pathways to be prepared in advance during the main manufacturing process rather than requiring separate subsequent operations
2Reliability
If skin scoring process is applied to enable airbag deployment, then airbag deployment function is achieved, but process costs and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the skin scoring operation entirely from the manufacturing process by using vacuum-formed fabric that self-generates the necessary seam lines and surface structures during molding, eliminating the need for separate scoring equipment, materials, and labor while preserving airbag deployment capability
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum-formed fabric serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural core of the crash pad, creates the necessary seam line patterns for airbag deployment, and eliminates the need for separate scoring operations, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost
3Reliability
If skin scoring process is applied, then airbag deployment function is achieved, but seam line exposure on surface occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different surface treatments to different regions of the fabric: the vacuum-formed fabric creates controlled seam lines in specific locations necessary for airbag deployment while maintaining smooth, uninterrupted surfaces in visible areas, achieving local differentiation of surface quality to satisfy both functional and aesthetic requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides an automotive interior skin with excellent lightweight, mechanical, and sensitivity properties, along with economic efficiency through process simplification and cost reduction, while ensuring effective airbag deployment without the need for scoring.
Implementation Method 1
a composition for an automotive interior skin includes: 30 wt % to 70 wt % of a polyol compound; 5 wt % to 40 wt % of dicyclohexylmethane-4,4'-diisocyanate; and 5 wt % to 30 wt % of an aromatic glycol-based chain extender
Data Source
AI summary
A composition for an automotive interior skin, a method for manufacturing the same, and an automotive interior skin manufactured using the same. The composition for an automotive interior skin includes: 30 wt % to 70 wt % of a polyol compound; 5 wt % to 40 wt % of dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate; and 5 wt % to 30 wt % of an aromatic glycol-based chain extender.