To better deal with everyday scratches, the new Dacia Sandero Stepway and Duster now feature factory-colored bumper masks. Sanam, a designer of colors and upholstery for the Dacia brand, tells us about the aesthetic, economic and environmental benefits of their production process.
Let’s talk about bumper masks! These are the pieces of plastic located under the front and rear bumpers that protect the lower part of the car from everyday wear. The bumper masks also serve to improve the overall aesthetics of the bumpers themselves. Thus, the Dacia brand rethinks the way bumper masks are made by choosing pieces of factory-colored plastics.
“Painted bumper masks change color over time. Factory-colored masks are long-lasting, ”says Sanam, designer of colors and upholstery for the Dacia brand.
“The mask design of the new Dacia Sandero Stepway and Duster demonstrates our goal of providing customers with intelligent solutions that focus on the most important, for the best value for money, without ever sacrificing aesthetics. This is achieved by developing efficient production processes that also take into account environmental issues. ”- adds the designer.
Mounted under the front and rear bumpers, the masks protect against daily abrasions and bumps.
The traditional way to make bumper masks is a two-step process. First, a plastic material known as polypropylene is injected into the mold to give the final shape to the part. It can then be painted or coated with a stamped piece – chrome for example – to enhance the final look.
Color that does not change
Dacia chooses another way. The new Dacia Sandero Stepway and Duster have bumper masks that are factory colored. This means that the plastic material used to make the part is already colored. Therefore, the color never changes, unlike the usual layer of paint.
Sanam continues: “When you paint an exterior, such as an armor mask, even if you use highly resistant paints, the usual bumps and scratches in the operation of the car will change the paint, sometimes even remove it completely. Using factory-painted parts, the color coating lasts much longer.
The bumps and scratches that the bumper masks invariably receive will leave a mark, but these marks will be virtually invisible, as the original color will remain unchanged.
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