Headlamp Housing
Highly successful projects can result from joint development efforts between customer and vendor.
This project had two critical requirements which had to be fulfilled to ensure functionality.
- The total weight of the final design had to be as low as possible, due to usage of the part for lighting stages and film sets.
- And due to the high heat output from electrical wattage of 15,000W,good thermal conductivity was a necessity. This requirement could not be achieved by plastic materials.
The customer’s initial strategy was to assemble the housing from several sheet metal parts was rejected due to the high total weight and the high cost for tooling and parts.
Next, they considered assembly of the housing from three aluminum cast parts.
However, close collaboration between the customer’s design team and Funke resulted in the idea to develop the part asone integrated magnesium casting.
This strategy was successful on multiple levels and resulted in satisfying the primary requirements (low weight and good thermal conductivity). While simultaneously a significant reduction in costs was achieved (Only one pattern equipment was required and mechanical processing and the assembly of multiple parts was avoided).
In 2009 the customer was awarded with the “Scientific and Engineering Award” by the “Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science” in Hollywood for this product.
Today, about 250 of these parts are manufactured each year.