Building Analysis Methodology of an Integrally Female Vacumm Forming and Injection Compression Moulding

Abstract

In recent times the automotive interior industry has tended to focused on low cost, comfortable, eco-friendly products. However, the vast majority of automotive interior products (door trims, instrument panels, pillars etc.) have been made using hard and uncomfortable materials; mostly plastic. To create a softer texture, the products have often been covered with a skin sheet of some kind, like leather or artificial leather (TPO, PVC sheet). This creates problems however, as the adhesives required to attach the skin sheet to the plastic contain several toxic substances that are prohibited in Europe, Australia and many other countries. Furthermore, the common alternative—water-borne—is very expensive. In this paper, to overcome these problems, we introduce the Integrally Female Vacuum Forming and Injection Compression Moulding (ICM), and report the analysis methodology used to access it.

F2012-H07-005