Laminate Insert Molded Instrument Panel
Visteon’s Laminate Insert Molded Instrument Panel is a one-piece, mold-in-color polypropylene instrument panel that is partially covered with a skin for selective soft touch zones. This innovative and patented solution is ideal for automotive manufacturers who are in need of flexible interior styling that does not require sacrificing efficiency or recyclability.
The process for laminate insert molding begins with a pre-formed laminate skin that is inserted into the instrument panel tool. During the injection cycle, polypropylene flows into the tool and bonds with the laminate skin. The result is a high-quality instrument panel that efficiently places the soft skin material in the consumer touch zones. To create additional variation in touch zones, the skin material can include a layer of foam, dependent upon the desired softness of feel.
The skin, foam and substrate are 100-percent olefin, making the resulting instrument panel completely recyclable. Manufacturing the instrumental panel using materials from the same chemical family avoids the complicated and time-consuming particle separation required for recycling other instrument panel materials.
Design Flexibility
The advanced vacuum-forming process used to manufacture these instrument panels improves design flexibility, which designers can use to create unique solutions. Specific design benefits include:
- Two-tone color availability for enhanced product differentiation.
- Improved fit and finish by integrating the defroster grille into the instrument panel.
- Multiple grains and textures.
- Selective soft-touch zones.
Additional Benefits
Besides the increase in design flexibility, the process to deliver Visteon’s Laminate Insert Molded Instrument Panels offers these additional benefits:
- Improved squeak and rattle performance through integration of the defroster grille and instrument panel.
- Reduced tooling, piece cost and assembly labor associated with a separate defroster grille.
- Lower weight solution than competing technologies that offer soft touch zones.
- Completely recyclable.
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