Guardian Automotive Trim, Inc.

Henry H Smith

John Sienkiewicz

An automotive trim product is made as follows. A single or multiple layer sheet is extruded so as to include at least one color pigmented and/or metallized layer therein. The sheet is then thermoformed into a three-dimensionally shaped preform via vacuum forming or the like. The preform is placed into a cavity of an injection molding apparatus and heated semi-molten material is injected thereinto. The semi-molten material bonds to the preform in the cavity. After cycling, the molding apparatus ejects a final automotive trim part. Optionally, some processing (e.g. trimming) may be performed following ejection.

Method of making a colored automotive trim product

An exterior automotive trim product, and method of making the same. In certain embodiments, a color pigmented thermoplastic layer is provided. A transparent clear coat is calendared to the color pigmented layer to form a composite or laminate. The laminate is subsequently vacuum-formed into a three dimensional shape approximating the desired shape of a final trim product. The vacuum-formed laminate is then inserted into an injection molding device, and semi-molten resin injected into the mold cavity behind the laminate. The resin fuses with the vacuum-formed laminate with the result being the final automotive trim product. Thus, no spray painting or spraying of solvents is required, and burdensome dry paint transfer techniques may be avoided.

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Wales, MI, United States of America

Henry H Smith