Zone: Compression, Pressure Molding

SMC Flexes Muscles in Other Markets

Often identified with automotive body applications, sheet molding compound shows growing promise in a variety of other temperature- and weather-resistant applications.

Read Complete Article

Research Further:

Browse This Zone By Type:

All | Article (35) | Case Study (3)

Search This Zone:

Most Recent Content in this Zone:

Automotive Composites: Taking Subjectivity out of Class A Surface Evaluation 8/3/2008: Toward the goal of more consistent, repeatable and quantifiable Class A surface analysis, automakers and systems suppliers are developing and employing automated surface inspection tools.
SMC Flexes Muscles in Other Markets 12/1/2007: Often identified with automotive body applications, sheet molding compound shows growing promise in a variety of other temperature- and weather-resistant applications.
Innovation Driving Automotive SMC 2/1/2007: New materials, methods and machinery are restoring sheet molding compoundâ€™s preferred material status for automotive and heavy truck body panels.
LFRT Uncovers Hidden Value For New Jeep Vehicle 6/1/2006: Long-fiber thermoplastic composite fulfills engineering and assembly plant requirements for multifunctional door module.
Waves Of Change: From Shock To Opportunity 6/1/2006: Closing of Clark Foam opens surfboard industry to new technologies.

View More Content in This Zone | RSS

Overview Of:

Compression, Pressure Molding

Compression molding is a high-volume process that employs expensive but very durable metal dies. It is an appropriate choice when production quantities exceed 10,000 parts. As many as 200,000 parts can be turned out on a set of forged steel dies, using sheet molding compound (SMC), a composite sheet material made by sandwiching chopped fiberglass between two layers of thick resin paste. To form the sheet, the resin paste transfers from a metering device onto a moving film carrier. Chopped glass fibers drop onto the paste, and a second film carrier places another layer of resin on top of the glass. Rollers compact the sheet to saturate the glass with resin and squeeze out entrapped air. The resin paste initially is the consistency of molasses (between 20,000 cps and 40,000 cps); over the next three to five days, its viscosity increases and the sheet becomes leather-like (about 25 million cps), ideal for molding.