a method of forming an airbag assembly for a vehicle including the steps of providing a sheet of hinge material , where the hinge material includes a sheet of scrim material encapsulated within a polymer . next , a panel is provided that is formed of a substrate material . an under face of the panel may have a tear seam to allow an airbag to exit the panel body when the airbag is deployed , and the tear seam may define an airbag door . next , a first portion of the sheet of hinge material is secured to the panel within the airbag door defined by the tear seam . securing the hinge material to the panel may occur by vibration welding a portion of the hinge material to the panel . a second portion of the sheet of hinge material is secured to the airbag housing and an airbag housing is secured to the panel . the hinge material may be secured to the airbag housing such that a third portion of the sheet of hinge material forms a loop .