Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Flex-n-gate Advanced Product Development, LLC

Jack Bekou

Steven Perucca

Rohit Telukunta

Dinesh Munjurulimana

Geoffrey Brooks

Todd Mueller

Anil Tiwari

The present disclosure relates to a hybrid material panel assembly for a vehicle. The panel assembly includes a panel and a plurality of mounting flanges integrally formed with the panel. The panel is formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The plurality of mounting flanges are formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, where each of the plurality of mounting flanges include a mounting area that defines a mounting surface and at least one mounting hole. The first coefficient of thermal expansion is greater than the second coefficient of thermal expansion.

Hybrid material vehicle panel and methods of making the same

An apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a body-in-white member having an inboard side and an outboard side, a reinforcing structure molded on the inboard side, and an energy absorbing structure molded on the outboard side. A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, providing a body-in-white member having an inboard side and an outboard side, molding a reinforcing structure on the inboard side, and molding an energy absorbing structure on the outboard side.

Vehicle body-in-white panel with reinforcing and energy absorbing structures

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Windsor, CA, United States of America

Jack Bekou