Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for producing seamlessly manufactured vehicle components, in particular vehicle flaps, having a continuous support made of a thermoplastic plastics material, which vehicle components have at least one transparent region that is an integral part of the support.
Description of Related Art
In order to reduce the weight of the bodywork in automotive construction, panes of glass are, for example, replaced by sheets of transparent plastics. In addition, many external vehicle components, such as, for example, bumpers and protective edges, have for a long time already been manufactured from plastics material.
With regard to vehicle components, there is great interest in integrating various functional elements into the components but configuring the structure of the components in such a manner that the components can be manufactured in one piece on the basis of a single support material.
Components with a large surface area in particular must have sufficient stiffness to be able to withstand the mechanical demands that are made of them. At the same time, however, the components are to be so designed that their own weight is as low as possible.
In addition, ambitious demands are made in automotive construction especially for high-price vehicles as regards the visual appearance of the materials used in their construction. Inhomogeneities, or visual faults, in the surface of the component are not acceptable in this connection.
In addition, because of the ever more complex construction of vehicle components, there is at present an increased demand for efficient manufacturing methods which allow the components to be produced in as few steps as possible.