DEVELOPMENT OF A UNIQUE, GAS-INJECTION MOLDED DOOR HARDWARE MODULE FRAME

A unique design, engineering, and manufacturing approach has been used to create the first all-plastic door hardware module frame. The result of many years of intensive development efforts by a team of companies, the gas-assist injection molded frame features a high degree of parts consolidation and has been critically acclaimed as “the first major metal-replacement automotive part since the bumper, a quantum leap in injection molding complexity, and the biggest commercial breakthrough ever in gas assist molding [1].” The program also proved to be an excellent example of the types of technological breakthroughs that can come from concurrent engineering and strategic partnering.

This paper will provide an overview of the component's development, describe the many challenges facing the team, and share solutions that contributed to the success of the program. It will also illustrate the benefits of successfully implementing a design and production strategy that carefully matches design, materials, tooling, and processing.