A lightweight vehicle pan assembly and for attachment to a vehicle frame via welding includes at least one metal flange and a molded pan body. The at least one metal flange has a weld portion adapted for welded attachment to the vehicle frame and an interface portion extending from the weld portion. The molded pan body has a base wall and at least one side wall extending upward from the base wall. The interface portion of the at least one metal flange is embedded in the at least one side wall of the molded pan body. The interface portion includes at least two rows of apertures defined therein for increasing a bond strength between the at least one metal flange and the molded pan body.

A manufacturing system may include at least one clamp configured to maintain a distance of separation between a first component and a second component for an epoxy provided therebetween. The manufacturing system may also include a laser, and a controller in communication with the laser. The controller may be configured to cause the laser to direct at least one light beam against one of the first and second components to heat the epoxy by conduction to a cure temperature.

A composite oil pan for a work vehicle engine and a method of forming the composite engine oil pan include forming a sheet of metal into a first pan and open molding a fiber-reinforced polymer resin onto the first pan forming a second pan. The first pan has a first bottom wall and first peripheral walls extending from edges of the first bottom wall to define a sump, the first peripheral walls terminating in a first peripheral flange. The second pan has a second bottom wall and second peripheral walls abutting the first bottom wall and the first peripheral walls, the second peripheral walls terminating in a second peripheral flange. The first pan defines a thin metal structure with an inner surface extending across the first bottom wall, first peripheral walls and first peripheral flange; the second pan reinforces the first pan without abutting the inner surface.

Part retention features are disclosed for securing additively manufactured (AM) parts or for securing an AM part with another component, such as a node, panel, tube, extrusion, and the like, while an adhesive is being applied and/or while the adhesive is undergoing expansion due to a subsequent curing process. The retention features described herein can be used in the context of one or more AM parts such that the elements used to house the retention features (e.g., grooves, apertures, elastic elements, etc.) can advantageously be co-printed with the AM part, thereby removing a manufacturing step. The retention features also can be made with flatter profiles than existing solutions, making the overall structure smaller and less cumbersome to assemble.

An injection molded housing includes a first piece, a second piece, and a wall defined by the first piece removably joined to the second piece by a joint at abutting surfaces of the first piece and the second piece. A central catch is integrally molded with the first piece, protruding from the wall. A latch is integrally molded with the second piece, and connected to the second piece first and second living hinges. A half-knuckle is integrally molded with the second piece, protruding from the wall. A hinge pin is fixedly attached to the latch. The latch is bendable at the living hinges to align the hinge pin with the half-knuckle. The latch is rotatable about the hinge pin to engage the central catch and selectably prevent the first piece from being disengaged from the second piece.

A multi-camera vision system for a vehicle includes a plurality of video cameras having respective fields of view external of the vehicle. Captured image data is provided to and processed at a central data processor in order to detect objects that are within the field of view of at least some of the video cameras. The vehicle is equipped with a sensor system having at least one non-visual sensor that senses sensor data in a region external of the vehicle. The sensed sensor data is provided to the central data processor. A potential hazard present exterior the vehicle is determined to exist via processing at the central data processor of at least one of received image data and received sensor data.

The present invention relates to a customization previewing system for a component for a vehicle, such as a motorcycle. In one embodiment, the system comprises paintable scaled models or prototypes for OEM motorcycle components, such as fenders, fuel tanks, saddlebags and the like. The model prototypes are configured to be between 50 and 80 percent in size of the OEM motorcycle components to enable the owner to accurately preview or visualize a customization job before the same is performed on the actual OEM motorcycle component. Each of the model prototypes is also comprised of a mounting hook for mounting the prototype to a wall or other surface. A spray painter is used to spray the paint, decoration or graphic onto the prototype and change the color thereof based on the preferences of the user.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of forming a cover of a fuel intake system of a vehicle. The method may include providing a mold that defines a cover-forming cavity having a main body portion and a grounding strap portion connected to the main body portion, inputting a forming material into the cover-forming cavity to a specified level, allowing the forming material within the cover-forming cavity to cool and harden, separating the mold to expose the cover having an integrally molded and formed grounding strap, and removing the formed cover having the integrally molded and formed grounding strap from the separated mold.

A fibrous component for a vehicle exterior includes a skin layer having a multilayer structure comprising a laminated web including a reinforcing fiber and a binder fiber, the skin layer including pores that absorb sound; a sound absorbing pad layer disposed on an inner side of the skin layer and absorbing sound; and an adhesive layer disposed between the skin layer and the sound absorbing pad layer. The adhesive layer adheres the skin layer and the sound absorbing layer to each other.

An extrusion molding process including a first tape adhering process, in which a first tape is guided to a surface of a first seal lip of an outer belt molding, which is in a heated state in a die, by a tape guide passage formed in the die of an extrusion molding machine and the first tape is adhered to the first seal lip, and a second tape adhering process, in which a second tape is guided to a surface of a second seal lip of the outer belt molding, which is in a heated state immediately after coming out from the die, by a tape guiding jig arranged adjacent to a downstream side end surface of the die of the extrusion molding machine and the second tape is adhered to the second seal lip, are performed.