Door Lock Cover and Lever End Redesign

 

Design | Reverse Engineering | Low Volume Manufacturing
Industry: Transport

The Challenge

Go-Ahead London identified ongoing issues with the door lock mechanism and lever handle end on their vehicles, caused by regular driver interaction and misuse. The existing door lock cover moulding left the door latch exposed, which led to drivers using it directly. Over time, this resulted in the lock mechanism being forced and ultimately broken, increasing maintenance requirements and vehicle downtime.

 

The Solution

We redesigned the door lock cover moulding to fully hide the door latch, preventing drivers from accessing and applying force to the mechanism. We reverse-engineered the lever handle end. Both components were produced using vacuum casting, allowing Go-Ahead London to achieve production-quality parts quickly and cost-effectively.

 

The Results

  • Door latch fully concealed, preventing misuse by drivers.

  • Reduced lock damage and associated maintenance issues.

  • Improved durability and retention of the lever handle end.

  • Production-ready components supplied in suitable end-use materials.

  • Cost-effective, low-volume manufacturing using vacuum casting.

  • Faster implementation compared to traditional manufacturing methods.