Garage Door Surround System

Situation

Formtech’s challenge was to provide Raynor a complete, more robust light surround system while maintaining compatibility with current manufacturing practices.

Challenge

The customer required certain functional and aesthetic properties:

1. The weld integrity at the surround corners needed to be improved compared to the existing product.
2. Superior weatherability and UV stability was required.
3. Water intrusion through the surround needed to be eliminated.

Solution

After exploring several alternative processes, Formtech’s engineers developed a plastic extrusion solution that offered significant functional advantages:

1. A hollow extrusion system with a patented screw guide feature was engineered to offer improved function over the current part.
2. This solution, created using a hot plate, thermal welding process, offered a robust joint, eliminating weld integrity issues while providing consistently clean corners.
3. A cap stock was used only for dark colors, providing a cost advantage.

Results

The customer was pleased with the Formtech solution:

1. The new light surround system was successfully implemented on Raynor’s new door line.
2. There was an increase in glass security between the interior and exterior frames.
3. Additional capital needed to manufacture multiple frame sizes was eliminated.
4. The superior design and functionality over the existing process prompted Raynor to convert the balance of their door lines to Formtech’s newly engineered solution.