a machine for automatically installing a molding strip onto the edge of a door panel . the door panel is covered with a soft , flexible material such as vinyl or cloth . the molding strip has a channel formed therein , which receives the edge of the door panel . a compression mechanism compresses the material in front of the molding strip as the molding strip is pushed by a drive mechanism onto the door panel edge the distance of the molding strip . the compression mechanism and the drive mechanism move in unison so that the compression mechanism is continuously compressing the material just in front of the molding strip as the strip is installed on the door panel edge .