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MATERIALS

The keyboard surround is an example of parts consolidation via a combination of processes that were used to create a gas-assisted injection-molded structural foam hybrid.

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The gas in this multiple-gas-pin application cores out an integrated thick handle area, which is a thick rim (with attached pocket-like features) that runs all the way around the perimeter of the part. Structural foam helps to pack the main bottom section, which is designed with the wall thickness of a structural foam part. The material chosen for this part is a polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blend (PC/ABS), which is painted in a secondary operation. The integration of different functions into a single part results in a cost reduction due to saved assembly and tooling costs. Other keyboards with the same functionality generally have 7–10 parts.