Method of manufacturing a painted vehicle part

摘要

A method is provided for manufacturing a painted plastic part such as a painted air bag cover (10) including a one-piece thermoplastic elastomeric body (16) or structural substrate and a painted one-piece film carrier (30) of a thermoplastic material compatible with the thermoplastic elastomer of the body (16). A bottom contact surface (32) of the film carrier (30) bonds with a front contact surface (22) of a front panel (20) of the body (16) by diffusion between the contact surfaces thereof. The resulting air bag cover (10) is cooled beneath the softening point of both plastics so that a molecular concentration gradient is formed at an interface between the first and second plastics by diffusion within a mold cavity (262) of an injection mold (210) separate from the mold cavity of a vacuum mold (310) which is utilized to vacuum-mold the film carrier (30) after the film carrier (30) is painted.