If the side panels are permanently fastened to the chassis, an over-under lip will be the best solution to bring panels together
Flanges can be added into the mold after manufacture using sheet wax, modeling clay, etc. in a "one-off" situation (i.e. pulling one panel from the mold)
Anything rigid will be sufficient to build flanges into the molds, however, it will potentially cause mold-lock
These flanges need to be properly coated/prep'd such that you can remove it properly from mold without any issues (This is mold-lock)
Russ says our model is very good, but needs some tweaking and modification to improve DFM
Headlights can be recessed into the aerobody directly, provided there is a draft angle
Lots of consideration needs to be given to male-female overlap sections, as these are where molds will get suck into the molds and/or provide issues during assembly
CNC cut mold is ideal for our uses, however, they can't perform any more than 1-2 layups, and last about 6 months if stored correctly
The best way to get a super clean surface finish right off the mold is to work the mold to get it as smooth as possible
Russ suggests against using a gel-coat due to the required mold prep and associated labor costs; Russ also suggests sanding-grade gel-coat which is easy to sand as a primary layer in the mold
Paint or vinyl wrap is the way to go, as gel-coat isn't durable under exposure to sun
Russ has not had time to cost out the molds, but looking around $170/sq ft of machined foam
Lead times 3-4 weeks from receiving the CAD to first mold manufacturing, then 3-4 weeks to finish the first mold followed by 1 week per mold after that
Lead time roughly 4-5 months at Russ's current estimate, but dependent on how busy they are at the time we get parts to them
Ideally molds will be shipped in "sets" based on sizes, but FormaShape can prioritize shipments of certain panels (i.e. roof first, etc.)