Patent ID: 7963589

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a cross-member ( 1 ) of a dashboard of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a metal strip; creating at least one pair of holes in the metal strip; and bending the metal strip after creating said one pair of holes so as to produce a hollow profile member comprising a beam ( 2 ) which extends substantially in a longitudinal direction and means ( 4 ) for fixing the beam ( 2 ) to the structure of the vehicle, said fixing means comprising two plates ( 6 ), at least one plate ( 6 ) positioned transversely on one side and another plate ( 6 ) on the other of the beam, at least one of which is; each plate ( 6 ) being one piece with the beam ( 2 ), wherein in the plates ( 6 ), the metal strip is folded into two thicknesses which are separated by a layer of air having a thickness less than two times the thickness of the metal strip, and wherein the holes of the at least one pair of holes are in alignment with each other after bending, the at least one fixing aperture ( 8 ) being formed by the holes in alignment.