Abstract: A cooling system for a molding tool or molding machine includes a high-performance coolant, multiple cooling circuits with different coolants flowing along each circuit, and/or a self-contained cooling circuit. The high-performance coolant can include a metallic component in various forms, including a liquid phase metal form. Newly recognized coolant characteristics such as volumetric heat capacity (Cv) can be used to identify suitable coolants. High-performance coolants can be used to reduce molding process cycle times, to spatially equalize the cooling rate of the molding material among different sections of the mold cavity, and/or to help cool other parts of the tool or machine such as a runner or an injection sleeve.

Abstract: An energy absorbing assembly, sometimes referred to as a crush tip assembly, that is mounted to a body-on-frame vehicle, either behind a front or rear bumper, so that the assembly absorbs energy in during a collision. The energy absorbing member is a multi-piece assembly where adjoining segments are secured together with a welded joint that may include a non-linear portion having one or more junction features. The specific arrangement of the non-linear portion, along with other optional secondary features like strengthening ribs, holes, slots, etc., can be used to achieve more desirable energy profiles during a collision event.

Abstract: A vehicle floor tub is generally designed for attachment to a vehicle floor panel and may have a variety of uses. In one embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may include a sound damping patch applied to the base of the tub for improved vibration or sound damping purposes, thermal insulation, added structural integrity, etc. The vehicle floor tub may include a main panel, a sound damping patch, and an adhesive layer that are formed together from a main blank, a sound damping blank, and an adhesive layer. The sound damping patch may include one or more forming features located near complex stress regions. In one embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may be sized and configured to be a vehicle seat tub that is located in the floor of a vehicle and accommodates a folded or collapsed vehicle seat; in another embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may accommodate a spare wheel.

Abstract: An energy absorbing assembly, sometimes referred to as a crush tip assembly, that is mounted to a body-on-frame vehicle, either behind a front or rear bumper, so that the assembly absorbs energy in during a collision. The energy absorbing member is a multi-piece assembly where adjoining segments are secured together with a welded joint that may include a non-linear portion having one or more junction features. The specific arrangement of the non-linear portion, along with other optional secondary features like strengthening ribs, holes, slots, etc., can be used to achieve more desirable energy profiles during a collision event.

Abstract: A method of removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, a scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.

Abstract: A metal blank that includes a binder trim component having at least one cut edge with a non-linear section. The creation of the non-linear section simultaneously forms a corresponding section in a binder trim component of an adjacent metal blank so that binder material can be shared therebetween. This reduces the amount of scrap metal, as the binder trim component is subsequently cut off and discarded. Furthermore, the non-linear section can include one or more strategically placed formations, such as projections, recesses, flat sections, etc., that cause it to be non-uniform along its length and to be specifically tailored to the manufacturing requirements of the part being formed.

Abstract: A panel assembly for use in any number of different applications, including a variety of vehicle applications, that reduces noise or vibrations, provides thermal insulation, and/or improves structural integrity. According to an exemplary embodiment, the panel assembly includes a main panel made from a metal, one or more sound damping patches also made from a metal, and an adhesive layer that joins the patches to the main panel in a constrained layer construction. The sound damping patches may include one or more forming features, which are designed to improve the formability of the panel assembly without significantly impairing its sound damping characteristics. There are different types of forming features, including internal forming features (e.g., openings, holes, slits, slots, etc.) located within the interior of the patch and external forming features (e.g., projections, fingers, recesses, waveforms, etc.) located along the perimeter of the patch.

Abstract: A method of removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, a scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.

Abstract: A sound-damped vehicle panel assembly, such as a dash panel, is attached to a structural member with one or more weld joints. The vehicle panel assembly may include a main panel member, a sound-damping patch, and a sound-damping adhesive layer arranged therebetween, where the patch covers at least a portion of an acoustically active region of the main panel member. The weld joints that attach the vehicle panel assembly to the structural member are preferably located at weld openings formed in the sound-damping patch and/or the sound-damping adhesive layer so that the weld joint can be formed without melting and vaporizing the adhesive during the welding operation, as such an operation would likely require additional ventilation equipment and could impact the quality of the weld joint.

Abstract: A sound-damped vehicle panel assembly, such as a dash panel, is attached to a structural member with one or more weld joints. The vehicle panel assembly may include a main panel member, a sound-damping patch, and a sound-damping adhesive layer arranged therebetween, where the patch covers at least a portion of an acoustically active region of the main panel member. The weld joints that attach the vehicle panel assembly to the structural member are preferably located at weld openings formed in the sound-damping patch and/or the sound-damping adhesive layer so that the weld joint can be formed without melting and vaporizing the adhesive during the welding operation, as such an operation would likely require additional ventilation equipment and could impact the quality of the weld joint.

Abstract: A vehicle floor tub is generally designed for attachment to a vehicle floor panel and may have a variety of uses. In one embodiment, the vehicle floor tub may include a sound damping patch applied to the base of the tub for improved vibration or sound damping purposes, thermal insulation, added structural integrity, etc. The vehicle floor tub may include a main panel, a sound damping patch, and an adhesive layer that are formed together from a main blank, a sound damping blank, and an adhesive layer. The sound damping patch may include one or more forming features located near complex stress regions.

Abstract: A metal blank that includes a binder trim component having at least one cut edge with a non-linear section. The creation of the non-linear section simultaneously forms a corresponding section in a binder trim component of an adjacent metal blank so that binder material can be shared therebetween. This reduces the amount of scrap metal, as the binder trim component is subsequently cut off and discarded. Furthermore, the non-linear section can include one or more strategically placed formations, such as projections, recesses, flat sections, etc., that cause it to be non-uniform along its length and to be specifically tailored to the manufacturing requirements of the part being formed.

Abstract: A panel assembly for use in any number of different applications, including a variety of vehicle applications, that reduces noise or vibrations, provides thermal insulation, and/or improves structural integrity. According to an exemplary embodiment, the panel assembly includes a main panel made from a metal, one or more sound damping patches also made from a metal, and an adhesive layer that joins the patches to the main panel in a constrained layer construction. The sound damping patches may include one or more forming features, which are designed to improve the formability of the panel assembly without significantly impairing its sound damping characteristics. There are different types of forming features, including internal forming features (e.g., openings, holes, slits, slots, etc.) located within the interior of the patch and external forming features (e.g., projections, fingers, recesses, waveforms, etc.) located along the perimeter of the patch.

Abstract: A metal blank that includes a binder trim component having at least one cut edge with a non-linear section. The creation of the non-linear section simultaneously forms a corresponding section in a binder trim component of an adjacent metal blank so that binder material can be shared therebetween. This reduces the amount of scrap metal, as the binder trim component is subsequently cut off and discarded. Furthermore, the non-linear section can include one or more strategically placed formations, such as projections, recesses, flat sections, etc., that cause it to be non-uniform along its length and to be specifically tailored to the manufacturing requirements of the part being formed.

Abstract: A method of removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, a scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.

Abstract: A scraper tool for removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, the scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.

Abstract: A metal blank that includes a binder trim component having at least one cut edge with a non-linear section. The creation of the non-linear section simultaneously forms a corresponding section in a binder trim component of an adjacent metal blank so that binder material can be shared therebetween. This reduces the amount of scrap metal, as the binder trim component is subsequently cut off and discarded. Furthermore, the non-linear section can include one or more strategically placed formations, such as projections, recesses, flat sections, etc., that cause it to be non-uniform along its length and to be specifically tailored to the manufacturing requirements of the part being formed.

Abstract: A scraper tool for removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, the scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.