Patent ID: 9616941
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: B60R,B62D

Claim:
1. A method for manufacturing a vehicle, said method comprising: providing a vehicle structure including a configuration of metal structural elements, wherein at least one of the structural elements is a back plate that is part of a beam; performing one or more processes to the vehicle structure that requires high temperature, wherein the back plate is designed to provide structural integrity that allows the vehicle structure to go through the one or more processes and/or the vehicle structure provides structural integrity that allows the back plate to go through the one or more processes; and mounting a front assembly that is part of the beam to the back plate after the high temperature process, where the front assembly includes a front plate mounted to the back plate and a polymer insert positioned between the front plate and the back plate, wherein the back plate is also designed to provide desired functional characteristics of the beam, and where alignment elements are provided in the front assembly and in the back plate, said alignment elements being adjustable in vertical and lateral directions, and any high temperature process-induced distortion of the back plate is removed prior to mounting the front assembly to the back plate using the alignment elements.