Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM's) have long used molded polyurethane foam as a means of providing a soft and luxurious feel to instrument panels. However, this traditional approach is not exempt from the automotive industry trend towards light weighting. New polyurethane foam systems which enable a reduction in instrument panel foam thickness have been developed that enable the reduction of polyurethane foam to 4-5 mm (from current industry average of 8-10 mm). This paper will highlight the chemistry approach that was utilized to enable first-run-prime quality instrument panel production with a 50% reduction in average foam thickness. Additionally, the paper will address some of the design considerations on thin foam processing as well as compare the reduced-thickness-capable foam to alternative technologies.
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