A premium car manufacturer developed a new lighting system – the so-called light carpet, which illuminates the entry area of a vehicle. The first fastening solution met the basic requirements, but was above the target price and still offered potential for optimization in terms of process reliability and wetting.

The early involvement of INNO TAPE enabled the material, contour, and design to be further developed in a targeted manner. Close coordination

with the customer and the material manufacturer enabled both technical improvements and an efficient series solution.

The result: Significant cost reduction, OEM-compliant adhesive performance, and a stable assembly process—achieved through partnership and collaboration.

Find out how development partnerships create economic efficiency in our case study.

The light carpet is an innovative lighting element that gently illuminates the floor in the entry area. Specific micro-optics project the light radially onto a defined area – visually sophisticated and positioned in the premium segment.

We were commissioned to develop an adhesive tape-based fastening concept for the component in which the lens is integrated. The module is mounted in the sill area – an area with tight installation spaces and thermal and mechanical stresses. The contour of the molded part was already specified by the customer. At the same time, it had to be clarified whether geometric adjustments were possible to improve material utilization and subsequent processing.

Challenges

The first version of the fastening solution met the basic technical requirements but exceeded the target price.

At the same time, the challenging installation location in the sill area placed high demands on economical and reliable assembly. In addition, the joining process for the plastic component revealed that the wetting was not yet sufficient to reliably meet the OEM specifications for adhesive strength. It thus became clear that economic, technical, and process-related aspects needed to be further optimized.

Objective 

The aim was to develop a cost-effective adhesive tape concept that: 

• the optically sensitive assembly is permanently
  securely fixed
• complies with OEM testing specifications for adhesive strength
• ensures stable and error-free processing in series production
• optimizes material utilization and costs

Early involvement enabled us to specifically check the specified contour and adjust it to achieve optimum material utilization and a reliable position of the molded part on the roll.

The liner and grip tabs were also ergonomically redesigned to ensure fast and error-free processing in the semi-automated assembly process.

At the same time, the adhesive performance was technically verified. Together with the material manufacturer, we carried out a TechScan wetting test on the plastic component. This revealed a need for optimization in the assembly device, which was implemented in consultation with the customer.

The result: wetting of over 95% and adhesive strength that reliably meets OEM specifications.

A process-stable and economically optimized fastening concept. All requirements in terms of quality, appearance, and performance were met; costs were significantly reduced.

At a glance

• early involvement in development
• targeted material and process optimization
• reliable assembly process despite challenging installation location
• wetting >95% – OEM specification met
• high repeat accuracy and clean finish in series production