The composites industry has expressed a keen desire for a molding material with the properties of Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) and the ability to mold at low pressure (e.g. 100-500 psi/1-3 MPa). Opportunities exist in Class A, zero shrink, low shrink pigmentable, and structural applications. Components for cars, trucks, school buses, motor homes, composite door skins, recreational vehicles, hospital bed bases, motorcycles, and fork lifts reportedly would benefit from this approach. Clearly, the ability to achieve SMC properties and production rates in shorter run applications in relatively inexpensive tooling is intuitively attractive.
展开▼
