Ford Escort All-Thermoplastic Bumper

Development of the 1984 Ford Escort thermoplastic bumper is reviewed. This bumper consists of an injection-molded facebar and backplate which are friction-welded together to form a box beam. This design provides the necessary stiffness and load-management capability to meet 5-mph bumper impacts without a metal reinforcement beam, thus providing substantial weight and cost benefits compared to alternative systems. In addition, benefits of bumper resiliency, corrosion resistance, styling freedom and component integration are obtained.