Proposal for Material Improvement of Emblem Products for Company S, a Nameplate Manufacturing and Screen Printing Business

Consulting Client: Company S, Nameplate Manufacturing and Screen Printing
In the United States, when a collision occurred and the driver's side airbag deployed, there was an issue where the emblem could injure the driver's face. The reason was that the emblem was made of hard resin, which fractured into sharp pieces during the airbag deployment. Changing to a rubber material would solve the problem, but the soft material would flex and cause fine cracks in the emblem itself, resulting in cosmetic defects. This was not a viable improvement solution, and a local Tier 1 company consulted us for an alternative.

In collaboration with Company S, we propose changing the material from the conventional ABS + plating to “elastomer + sputtering.” (*Sputtering is a method for creating thin films by introducing an inert gas in a vacuum, applying a negative voltage to a target to generate glow discharge, and depositing particles of the target material onto a substrate.)

Using soft materials, the design prevents cracking when bent and eliminates the risk of injuring drivers in collisions, enabling Company S to win the order. They successfully replaced the competitor. The key to success was “observation.” Established a local subsidiary in Chicago in 2007. 2018 sales reached $15 million. Major clients include TG for automotive parts and Whirlpool for home appliances.