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Light-duty pickup trucks have been and are an important growing segment of the US automotive market. Like all other vehicles on the road, they must also do their part to conserve fuel and weight reduction is a vital tool for achieving this goal. Tailgates currently installed on pickup trucks typically weigh over 30 lbs. and weight loss in these panels is very desirable. Recent demographic shifts in truck users has also lead to more interest in light-weighting of components like the tailgate for ergonomic reasons. Manufacturers have reached the limit for light-weighting tailgates using current materials and manufacturing processes. This new concept changes the paradigm. It uses a hybrid system of aluminum and plastic composite materials along with new manufacturing and assembly processes to achieve a significant weight reduction without compromising performance or other desired attributes. This paper describes the design and demonstrates its viability via analysis and test results.

For years, producers of low to medium volume products of high unit cost have been faced with the questions-“How much do we test?” and “What if we don't?” Today, manufacturers cannot compete in the market if these questions are not answered. This paper presents a methodology for answering these questions quantitatively. It applies Bayes Theorem of “apriori knowledge” to generate a probabalistic model of the new product testing task. It uses the existing knowledge and expertise within the organization and a simple matrix technique to determine the testing needs for the project at hand. This paper is intended to address the issues of durability and reliability of new products that are manufactured in relatively low volumes, such as Lift Trucks and Farm Equipment and/or products of high unit cost such as construction or off highway machinery.