OEM: Renault Supplier: Hella KGaA Hueck & Co (Lippstadt), Jacob Manfred Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co.KG Industry sector: Headlamps

Part design:

In the new Renault Clio, the gap between the headlamp and the wing is bridged by a dark edging strip. The plastic wing disappears behind the Makrolon® lens giving a smooth transition between the two parts for reasons of productivity, applying a coating is almost out of the question with the large volumes involved because too many extra technical steps would be needed for the partial coating process. Use of the IMD technique, however, enables the high demands on quality and quantity to be met.

The film inserts are made of dark-gray Makrofol® DE 1-4 in a thickness of 475 µm, colored according to Renaults specification. The films are formed and punched by the Jacob company in Wilhelmsdorf, Germany. High demands are made on the thermoforming and punching processes for multiple productions. The inserts are transported in special trays and inserted directly in the mold of the injection molding machine prior to insert-molding with Makrolon® AL 2647.

The lenses can then be coated in-line with a hard coat, which is necessary for outdoor application. It involves only a minimal increase in the cycle time because once the parts have been removed, all that needs to be done is to insert the film. A special handling system for taking the trays and precisely positioning the film was acquired for this application. Since IMD technology has brought a significant improvement in productivity plus a definite cost advantage, we are expecting a breakthrough for further applications of this kind.