Tunable composite seat structure and tooling assembly for forming the same in order to meet crashworthiness loads

A tooling assembly for creating an injection molded tunable composite seat structure for meeting varied crashworthiness loads, comprising:

• an upper die and a lower die which collectively define a closed mold configuration corresponding to a trough shaped seat pan having a contoured upper side and a structurally supporting lower side;
• and a plurality of removable and interchangeable inserts installable within cavities associated with at least one of the upper and lower dies prior to closing of the same and which, upon injecting a flowable resin, forming the seat pan having a common outline with variable configuration of at least one of underside ribs, stanchions and stanchion rib walls in order to adjust an energy absorbing crash deformation profile which, in response to an impact event, achieves a controlled collapse along a desired load path.