Abstract:
A honeycomb structure (60, 62) for use in a motor vehicle component may be manufactured by providing a mold half (90, 394) with a shape defining cavity that is contoured to have generally the same as the shape of one side of the honeycomb structure that is to be formed. A plurality of vertically indexed straws (314) that, include a central core formed from a first thermoplastic material having a relatively high melting point and an outer layer of second thermoplastic material that has a relatively low melting point, are placed in contact with the shape defining cavity of the mold and heated. The honeycomb structure is mechanically affixed to an interior shell of an automobile component by, for example, means of an interference fit or bonded to an the automobile component by inserting the honeycomb structure into the molding apparatus, and then molding the automobile interior component around the honeycombstructure.