Innovative Load Floor Connection with MultiMaterial-Welding Technology

How It All Started

It all began with guidance on fastening technology. For three years, we cultivated a relationship with Valley Enterprises, a company of Gemini Group, through consistent communication and exploratory projects.

We successfully demonstrated the capabilities of our MultiMaterial-Welding® (MMW) technology in a load floor project for the Jeep Wrangler, which paved the way for a subsequent project with Stellantis’ Daytona/Charger. With the OEM already familiar with and confident in our solution, the project received swift approval.

The Challenge: Transitioning to Ultrasonic Welding

Valley Enterprises had to transition from manually attaching brackets with screws and t-nuts to a machine-based ultrasonic welding process. This shift demanded trust in our new technology and required a substantial capital investment in ultrasonic welding machines. To address these concerns, our engineering team conducted multiple sample trials and prototypes, demonstrating the superior performance over the existing method.

The performance of MMW technology met the OEM specifications and convinced Valley Enterprises of its efficacy. Moreover, the investment in the new machines was justified by comparable costs to current machines and labor expenses.

From 38 to 6 Pieces in Assembly with a New Design

Traditionally, connecting the bracket in the load floor required three t-nuts and three screws. With our innovative LiteWWeight® Pin, the pins and bracket are now fully integrated into a single piece. This integration reduces each bracket’s components from seven or five to only one piece, eliminating 32 parts in total during the assembly process. This significant reduction not only shortens cycle time, but also lowers material and labor costs.

New Solution, Various Benefits

The LiteWWeight® Pin geometry was licensed to Valley Enterprises for injection molding with the bracket together as one piece. We supported the client with machine design and sourcing to meet the requirements. The LiteWWeight® Pin functional integration delivers multiple key benefits:

• Eliminating 32 parts on the load floor
• More lightweight solution
• Faster cycle time
• Cost savings on components

The transition to ultrasonic welding and LiteWWeight® Pin technology streamlined their production process, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective solution for the Stellantis Daytona/Charger load floors.