Light Covers

Thermoformed Light Cover

September 2022 - October 2023

An ongoing project designed for UBC Solar — a design team of which I have been a part of since my 1st year. These light covers are intended to shield the side light indicators and front lights from debris and other damage.

Figure 1. Interior of the light cover, emphasis on the pillars to be removed.

Figure 2. Side light indicator slits shown on the bottom shell of the vehicle.

Figure 3. CAD of the light cover, top view (exterior).

Figure 4. CAD of the light cover, bottom view (interior).

Figure 5. CAD of the mold.

Design Stages

Using SolidWorks, I modified the original side light covers to fit a TruFLEX light strip. The inside pillars (Figure 1) were hollowed out as they were previously intended to bolt the cover to the vehicle; the new light covers are now attached to the flat surface with adhesives. Finally, a draft was incorporated to the interior so the thermoformed part can be easily removed from the mold.

Once the modifications were complete, I used this light cover (Figure 3) and cavitied it onto an arbitrary block — the result is shown in figure 5. Designing the surrounding base surface to be much larger than the cover itself allows me to remove the thermoformed part easily, then cut off the excess.

Thermoforming Stage

My team and I decided it would be best to thermoform the light covers because it is cost-effective and creates a very clear cover compared to manufacturing the covers out of house.