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Fiberglass Dash

Fiberglass Dash. James Rasmussen. Background. Original dash was made from sheet metal, foam, and vinyl Was too heavy for its purpose Didn’t offer standard gauge sizes Didn’t offer any knee room Wasn’t originally fitted with a stereo

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Fiberglass Dash

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  1. Fiberglass Dash James Rasmussen

  2. Background • Original dash was made from sheet metal, foam, and vinyl • Was too heavy for its purpose • Didn’t offer standard gauge sizes • Didn’t offer any knee room • Wasn’t originally fitted with a stereo • The dash made the electronics on the car hard to work on due to the original removal method of the dash piece

  3. Design goals • Lighten and stiffen the component through the use of composites • Add a single DIN slot • Shorten the dash for more knee room • Incorporate hard points into the core so clamping forces can be applied to the mounts.

  4. Designing the dash • The original dash was measured at critical locations to ensure the top edge and steering column fit correctly • Gauge holes were added in key locations so the strength of the dash was not compromised. • The single DIN slot was placed ergonomically with the front face away from the core to help keep the weight on the core. • Foam models were CNC routered and checked for fitment on the car

  5. Manufacturing the Mold • Once the dash model was correct, a female mold was created in Solidworks, tool paths were created in Mastercam, and a mold was routered out of polyurethane foam • The mold was then coated with resin and sprayed the a polyester primer. • The primer was wet sanded, buffed, and coated with release.

  6. Layup • 7725 modified twill weave fiberglass was used • Conforms nicely around complex surfaces • Strength calculations determined only two layers were needed on each side of the core • Wet layup was used • Thought the resin would set too fast for a RTM • Dry fibers wouldn’t stay in place if bagging was attempted • Complex female mold used a stretch vacuum bag to help reduce wrinkles and make bagging easier

  7. Assembly • Skins and core were CNC routered so layup and assembly time would be reduced • Material was removed from the core to allow aluminum inserts • All four parts were bonded together with a glass bead and resin mix • Edges of the outside skin were trimmed

  8. Testing • Dashes were subjected to a three point bending test • 30 pounds was applied to the part of the fiberglass dash with the least amount of cross-sectional area • Ten pounds was applied to the original dash • The fiberglass dash deflected only .1 inches • The original deflected .1 inches

  9. Final Product • Composite dash was considerably lighter • Improved stiffness • Ergonomic controls • New mounting style eases installation Fiberglass dash Original dash

  10. Possible Design and Manufacturing Changes • A lighter fiberglass or carbon fiber would be used • Aramid paper or aluminum honeycomb would be used instead of blue foam • Molds would have even more draft • Molds would have been sanded to a finer grit and a different release agent would be used • Plastic hard points would be used

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