Overmoulding: how to combine two key automotive technologies

The automotive industry is constantly evolving and the components sector plays a key role. Suppliers contribute more than 75% of the value of the vehicle. Teknia, as part of this robust industry, is able to respond to the most demanding customer needs. And it does so through unique innovations and multi-technology products, such as overmoulding.

The automotive industry is currently undergoing a profound technological transformation. A true mobility revolution that aims to develop increasingly efficient, connected, autonomous, safe and sustainable cars. To achieve this, component suppliers are investing heavily in R&D&I, resulting in a wide range of manufacturing technologies.

Teknia offers its customers innovative manufacturing solutions. One of the Group’s differentiating elements is its multi-technology offering. It produces metal and plastic components using aluminium injection moulding, plastic injection moulding, machining, stamping and tube forming technologies.  However, the added value is at its best when several technologies are combined. This is the case of overmoulding, in which Teknia has capabilities in its Azuqueca, Manresa and Nashville plants.

What is overmoulding technology?

Overmoulding involves adding injection moulded plastic to previously stamped components in order to give them a specific functionality. For example, this technology can be seen in parts of steering wheels for all makes of cars, windscreen wiper rods or seat levers.

The result is a sensitive and complex safety part. This is because they have two tolerances, that of the metal and that of the plastic insert. After years of development and research, Teknia has managed to make the assembly much more solid, avoiding the need for mechanical joining solutions. This makes the product more functional and resistant, thus reducing costs.

The result of the overmoulding technology is therefore the union of two of the technologies in which Teknia specialises:

• Stamping, which is a manufacturing technology that results in metal parts with more complex geometries than the starting element. For this purpose, the material is subjected to shear stresses that exceed its elastic limit, resulting in permanent deformations in its shape.
• Plastic injection moulding, which is a process of transforming plastic. The process begins by melting the plastic at more than 200 ºC, turning it into a fluid. This is injected into a mould in the shape of the part to be produced and left to cool until it solidifies.

The processes and technologies involved in overmoulding at Teknia are united under one roof. This results in lower manufacturing and supplier management costs for customers, as well as greater quality control and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Innovation, quality and sustainability are in the company’s DNA.

Teknia Manresa, leader in the overmoulding technique

Teknia is present in 13 countries and has 23 production plants, but among all of them there is one that stands out especially in overmoulding technology. We are talking about Teknia Manresa, a plant specialising in stamping with and in which 45% of production are overmoulded components.

Research into overmoulding began at Teknia Manresa almost a decade ago. To do so, the company looked for the most complex and value-added product, achieving the first captures. Since then, the company has been growing in this type of product and technology, with very positive prospects.

In 2014, Teknia acquired an overmoulding company working for one of the main global suppliers in the sector, which was integrated in Manresa. This was joined by a new plant, which is currently dedicated to this technology. It should be noted that one of the main competitive advantages of Teknia Manresa is to combine the two technologies under one roof. In contrast, the industry usually uses two different processes to manufacture these parts: one for stamping and the other for overmoulding. Currently, the overmoulding technology has been extended to other plants of the Group with great success, as is the case of Teknia Nashville or Teknia Azuqueca.

Overmoulding is, in short, a clear example of Teknia’s industrial and technological spirit. A very demanding multi-technological product in terms of quality and specialisation that represents our vocation to offer comprehensive mobility solutions to customers all over the world.