Part Design and Material Selection for Single Shot Injection Molded Passenger Airbag Deployment Doors

The passenger airbag (PAB) deployment door is a very critical component of the passenger airbag restraint system because of the many demands put upon the door. As an aid to those in the field who lack technical expertise and experience, this paper is intended to be a somewhat indepth set of guidelines for the part design and material selection for single shot injection molded PAB deployment doors. Disadvantages and advantages of this type of door are discussed. In regards to part design, some areas covered are size, hinge, tear seam, gap hiders, and surface. Environmental factors, mechanical properties, structural factors, and processing parameters -- all of which are important for material selection -- are defined and described.