SMC boasts application on Mercedes trunk lid

摘要

The trunk lid on the Mercedes S Class CL500 coupe is probably the most prestigious application yet for polyester sheet molding compound. The two-piece molding (an outer skin and an inner structural element) was developed by Budd Co, Troy, Michigan, USA, and is molded by technology licensee Mitras in Rastatt, Germany. Budd developed technology for pulling a vacuum in the mold to extract volatiles from the SMC that are the cause of surface porosity in molded parts. German car makers have until now been reluctant to use SMC for exterior parts, citing problems with surface finish as well as recycling.