TPO Powder as Powder Slush Molding for Instrument Panel Skin

摘要

This paper describes the results related to powder slush moldable PVC replacement with TPO powder used for Instrument Panel skin of automotive interior part. To date, in the processing method for TPO instrument panel skin, vacuum forming is a dominant process. But vacuum-formed skin has a serious problem in appearance like grain retention in which cause some partial irregularity around edge or deep parts. At that point of view, powder slush molding process is the best one of several solutions to improve this problem. In this study, the performances of TPO, PVC, TPU powders were evaluated as instrument panel skin such as powder slush molding processibility, seamless airbag deployment, thermal resistance, weatherability, fogging, odor, and so on.