Vehicle Crash Pad Integrated Injection Molding Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for vehicle crash pads involves increased costs and material deformation due to separate molding of cores and skin foams, and uneven material filling in the PAB door region.
Innovation Solution
An integrated manufacturing method where a core and skin foam are formed in a single unit using a die with specific cavity configurations and material gates, allowing for low-pressure injection and uniform material distribution by filling from the center to the outer side, reducing manufacturing steps and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the core and skin foam are manufactured separately and then adhered, then the manufacturing process allows for separate optimization of each component, but the manufacturing cost increases and the production time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the core and skin foam manufacturing processes into a single integrated injection molding process. The multi-cavity die allows both components to be molded simultaneously in one operation, eliminating the separate adhering process. This combining of operations directly addresses the contradiction by maintaining manufacturing flexibility while significantly improving productivity and reducing production time.
2Ease of manufacture
If the TPO resin is filled from the left side to the right side, then the injection process is simple, but the material filling region becomes excessive and non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the injection process by providing multiple material gates (first, second, and third material gates) positioned at different locations in the die. This segmentation allows the TPO resin to be injected from multiple points simultaneously, creating uniform material distribution across the PAB door region. The segmentation of the injection system resolves the contradiction by maintaining process simplicity while achieving precise, uniform material filling.
3Strength
If the skin foam is adhered to the core using adhesive, then the bonding between components is achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the core and skin foam into a single integral structure through simultaneous injection molding. The skin foam is injected directly into the die cavity where the core is being formed, creating a monolithic structure without requiring separate adhering operations. This eliminates the need for adhesives entirely, resolving the contradiction by maintaining bonding strength through integral construction while reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating adhesive materials and application processes.
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
This method reduces manufacturing costs and prevents skin foam deformation while ensuring uniform material distribution and efficient production of crash pads with minimized material filling regions.
Implementation Method 1
moving the upper die in a downward direction to compress the first and second materials against the lower die
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a crash pad for a vehicle, may include (a) preparing a die including an upper die and a lower die for forming a first cavity for a Passenger Air Bag (PAB) door and a second cavity for a crash pad body, between the upper die and the lower die, (b) fixing a skin foam on an upper surface of the lower die, (c) moving the upper die in an upward direction in a predetermined distance and filling the first cavity for the PAB door with a first material and the second cavity for the crash pad body with a second material, (d) moving the upper die in a downward direction to compress the first and second materials against the lower die, while the first and second cavities may be filled with the first material and the second material, and (e) extracting a core of the PAB door and the crash pad body integrally formed with the skin foam from the die.