[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Vacuum-formed plastic dash parts

Franklyn Berry writes:
> Thanks. These pictures are enough for me to formulate a couple of questions:
> a) what's the rough overall width of the unit? It appears to be 
> 60cm or so. 

Perhaps the pictures doesn't illustrate well the fact that the "extension"
part of the ABT unit that houses the 3 gauges is integral with the
whole top cover of the instrument cluster.  I sketched a rough drawing of
the ABT unit just so you can have an idea what the it looks like
by itself:

	http://metalab.unc.edu/tkan/audi/audi-misc/abtdash.gif

As you can see it's quite a complex piece.  What's not shown is that
there are three protruding pegs on the rear side of this that plugs in
to holes on the dashboard.  The front side of the unit is secured to
the bottom of the cluster pod via two screws.  There is a vent grille
on the top.  The top surface is relatively smooth, with just a little of
matted texture to match the rest of the instrument cluster.  The overall
width of the whole thing is about 66cm.

> b) what's the overall height? 20cm? how about depth [as it extends away
> from the driver]? 

The height is different front and back because it's mounted on the
dashboard and the dashboard is sloped.  The front is about 11cm high and
the rear about 7cm.  The depth is about 24cm at the main cluster portion.

> c) what sort of structural detail exists on the INSIDE of the 
> instrumentation section? ribs or stiffeners? snap grooves for
> the gauge panel? bosses for mounting screws?

There are lots of ribs inside for stiffening.  The front gauge bezel
is screwed onto the unit.

> d) any guess as to average part thickness?

About 2mm?

I have no knowledge about plastic fabrication and manufacturing, but
this looks like an expensive piece to make in small quantities.

-Ti
96 A4 2.8 quattro
84 5000S 2.1 turbo
80 4000 2.0
-- 
    ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
   ///   AMB Research Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA. USA
  ///    ti@amb.org
 //////  http://metalab.unc.edu/tkan/
///