Pressure relief valve for the Mercedes G-Class

18 components, 4 techniques, 1 end product

The tailgate of the iconic Mercedes G-Class is so large that when you slam it shut, a pressure wave ripples through the cabin. This does not provide the level of comfort one would expect from a car in this category. Together with car manufacturer Magna Steyr, De Beer Plastics has developed a special pressure relief unit for this purpose, which directs the pressure outwards whilst remaining watertight against rain or in the car wash.

Very short project lead time thanks to collaboration
Different production techniques for a single sub-assembly
Scalable mass production for a successful production model

Results to be proud of

Processing time of just 6 months

Not only did this project require multiple moulds, but the assembly of this unit also involved a combination of different techniques, including mirror welding and ultrasonic welding. The moulds and all the custom-built assembly machines were completed within six months.

Co-creation

Thanks to close collaboration between the engineers at Magna and De Beer Plastics, this is a genuine example of co-creation. By involving our team at an early stage, we saved a great deal of time later on in the project.

Scalable production

Since production of this component began, production figures for the G-Class have risen sharply. Thanks to robust moulds and efficient assembly cells, production at De Beer Plastics has scaled up in line with our customer’s needs.

I want that too

How did we achieve this?

The strength of this project lay in bringing together a range of skills, both from our client and within our own organisation. With a strong team led by an experienced engineer, the various technologies and process steps were developed and implemented quickly and consistently.