Stamped Steel Console Hinge for the Automotive Industry

Highlands Diversified Services began this project, a steel console hinge for the automotive industry, by reexamining the design. The original design called for a plastic-made "living hinge," but the design led to high failure rates and subsequent service replacement and warranty costs.

To prevent the plastic hinge from failing, we assisted with the redesign of a metal stamping assembly to provide support. Although this did correct the failure issue, it didn’t correct the replacement problem: if the plastic hinge failed, the entire assembly would need replacement.

To minimize the frequency of replacement as well as the relative cost, we worked with our client to design a service hinge die that was compatible with the plastic hinge’s mounting configuration. If the plastic hinge failed with this design, only the top lid would require replacement. As a result of this improved design, we were able to provide our client with a sound product and improved cost efficiency.

Manufactured using stamping, staking, and finishing, the console hinge measured 4" long, 3" wide and .040" thick. The tightest tolerance we upheld was +/- .001", and the entire hinge was made from high-strength, low-alloy steel. Each console received a black epoxy finish. We ensured that we met multiple standards, including Automotive Defect Class A Standards and OEM Interior Standards, and we included a tight contour control to enable proper alignment.

To prevent scratching, we developed special cell packs for packaging. Producing 450,000 hinge consoles annually, we shipped the assemblies to our client in Edinburgh, Indiana and Bourbon, Indiana where they were used within interior automotive applications. To learn more about this project and others, please contact Highlands Diversified Services.