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Porsche Macan rear light systemHella KGaA Hueck & Co

The development of a tool for the production of a completely new rear light system for Hella for use in the Porsche Macan.

Automobil-Lichter für Porsche Macan, gefertigt mit Spritguss-Werkzeuge von Hofmann

The customer

Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. is a globally positioned, publicly listed family company that develops and manufactures lighting technology and electronic products for the automotive industry. The company has one of the largest trading organisations for automotive parts and accessories in Europe.
The Macan is a compact SUV from Porsche with five doors, five seats and sporty ambitions. It’s just as suited for city driving as it is for long journeys.

The task

For the Porsche Macan, Hella has developed a new rear light system which aligns LEDs in light strips. These patented EdgeLights offer new quality for the brake lights, which are of course an important safety feature. The EdgeLights are arranged in a strip and can be integrated into the vehicle’s outer skin to save space.

The task for Hofmann Impulsgeber was to develop a tool that would produce the complex geometries of the module without warping or incidence. There were high demands on the thick-walled part made of PMMA, referred to as the light module or light guide, the heart of the brake light. In addition to preventing distortion in the 2K injection moulding process, the main challenge was to create a highly complex prismatic geometry. Because only when the prisms are complete and without incidence can the LED light enter and exit correctly and with full light output.

The solution

In order to meet the EdgeLights’ high quality demands, the specialists at Hofmann Impulsgeber decided to manufacture them as multi-component parts from transparent PMMA in a two-cycle process on turning tools. Each tool produces a left and a right component per cycle, which is pre-moulded and finished using 2K technology. 2K technology was used to make the walls of the component as thick as they needed to be without causing any incidence. In conventional 1K technology, very long cycle times and high incidence would have been inevitable. 2K technology makes it possible to split the thick light guide into two thinner parts. In this way, cycle time and incidence could be reduced.

The success

Hofmann Impulsgeber built an innovative series tool that enabled Hella to manufacture their newly developed rear light system for the Porsche Macan. Firstly, the tool made a new, striking design for the brake lights possible. Secondly, the tool that was created can produce the complex prismatic geometries necessary for maximum light output from the LEDs in the EdgeLights. This gave a real boost to the brake lights, which are so important for safety in road traffic.

Christian Richardt

Your partner for automotive projects

Christian Richardt
Technical Sales Director - Customer Projects
T: +49 9571 766-9660