Wing mirror assembly

Wing mirror assembly

  • Wing mirror assembly die-cuts manufactured to strict quality requirements

    Our customer required a wing mirror assembly solution for attaching panels of an electrically heated wing mirror unit. Due to the stringent quality requirements of the automotive market, the adhesive components were to be manufactured to tight tolerances and within rigorous quality controls. In this case, strict specifications were presented due to the customer’s in-house testing methods to determine temperature tolerances of the finished product.

    Our customer also required 100% of the finished product to be without defect, in terms of physical and aesthetic attributes. Additional requirements included specification of a suitable adhesive tape to meet the demands of the application and a final presentation designed for ease of handling and fast application.

    We specified a high performance foamed acrylic adhesive tape and developed a semi-automated flat-bed die cutting production process, using a custom-made pneumatic tool to eject the finished products from the waste web. The controlled production method enabled continuous monitoring of parts for defects and, due to its many automated elements, provided cost savings to the customer.

    Read about this project in more detail below.

    Wing mirror assembly die-cuts manufactured to strict quality requirements
  • Project requirements
    Project requirements
    1. The customer is required to use parts produced in compliance with TS 16949 quality standards.
    2. Specification of a material that is very strong, offers reliable long-term adhesion, and resistance to environmental extremes, including very high and low temperatures
    3. Component design, with very minor changes to initial geometry provided, which are easy to handle and fast and accurate to apply.
    4. Supply components to very strict tolerances, without bends, wrinkles or tearing in adhesive and no smudges or contamination of parts or liner surface
    5. Supply components with 100% waste removal from the openings and the fingerlifts, with no adhesive residue on the pull tabs (fingerlifts)
    6. No splicing was allowed, not even on the release liner, even though the product itself is 100% usable.
    g_content_rows-repeater_items_title
    Solution
    Solution
    1. Parafix are TS 16949 compliant and operate to a number of quality accreditations and practices.
    2. Following specification of a foamed acrylic adhesive tape, which met all of the customer’s criteria, our R&D Department designed the component with minimal alteration to the original geometries. This included the addition of a dry tab for ease of handling and application.
    3. R&D also developed an optimal production process which met all of the strict quality criteria the customer required. Individual components were visible to the operator during the entire process, making it easy for them to inspect for and reject faults, ready for packaging. This method allowed for continuous quality control during manufacture and utilised our most advanced electronically controlled, semi-automatic machines.
    4. Our Engineers implemented an automatic extractor system, which pushes out the finished die-cuts from the waste web into a bin, making it easy for the operator to inspect and stack components, ready for packaging.
    5. The removal of the fingerlift waste was also automated and consisted of a thin strip of adhesive tape acting as an auxiliary material, laminated on top of the structure, to pick up and remove the small bits of adhesive waste.
    6. This method also made it easier for the packaging department to quickly pack the required amount; minimising the time required for final quality inspection.
    g_content_rows-repeater_items_title
    Key benefits
    Key benefits
    1. Customer cost targets were achieved
    2. Cost savings were achieved due to the automation of many processes during production
    3. Quality of components and final application into assembly were achieved through an efficient design and manufacturing process
    g_content_rows-repeater_items_title