Modern Plastics Worldwide - March 2010 - dae uptlax

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PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY PROCESSING TRENDS INJECTION MOLDING Molded parts get PUR coating in a single mold; BMW likes it By Matt Defosse Multicomponent injection molding, in a single mold, with one of the materials a PUR coating that protects its thermoplastic substrate: That’s the beauty of a technology that was fi rst discussed fi ve years ago and now is claiming its initial commercial success, and in no less of a project than the new BMW 5 Gran Turismo. Sometimes a novel technology appears briefly but then quietly disappears. This time, one first highlighted at the K show in 2004 has evolved substantially and made its way into commercial production at fischer automotive systems GmbH, a German processor of plastic automotive systems. The new technology being employed, called DirectSkinning, grew out of the work first presented by plastics processing machinery manufacturer KraussMaffei at that event. The technology then was known as SkinForm and, while novel at the time, has been steadily developed so that it now meets commercial requirements for cost and efficiency. The first commercial DirectSkinning part, a decorative panel, seals off a kinematic drawer on the dashboard, and directly above the central console, of the BMW 5 Gran Turismo series. The approximately 1.4-mm-thick PUR covering for the panel is based on plastics supplier Bayer MaterialScience’s Bayflex LS (Light Stable) material. The panel is produced in five colors. In DirectSkinning, the “skin”—PUR coating—is applied using reaction injection molding (RIM) equipment directly to an injection molded part in the same mold in which the thermoplastic parts are formed (the process also has been developed for use in multiple molds). In With BMW as a first commercial customer for the process, fischer automotive scored quite a coup with the DirectSkinning process. Shown is a precommercial part: the cup holder is molded using DirectSkinning, with the visible part of the holder “skinned” with a PUR surface for protection and aesthetics. this case, the moldings fischer processes are from a polycarbonate/acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) blend, Bayblend T85, also supplied by Bayer. After molding the thermoplastic substrate, the PUR system is injected into the closed mold via a mixing head, coating the substrate. “When a rotarytable or swivel-platen mold is used, the two production steps can be performed in parallel, for example, thus ensuring short cycle times and high productivity,” explains Andreas Bürkle, who is in charge of the DirectSkinning project at fischer automotive. The thickness and color of the PUR coating layer can be controlled. The investment and floor space required is less than if two machines—one each for injection and RIM—were required, and more significantly, the logistics are simplified since parts are ready to ship as they leave the processing cell. Also significant is that no paint lines are required. According to Bayer, the light stability of the decorative panel’s polyurethane surfaces has been tested via heat aging, hot-light aging, climatic change, and solar simulation testing, with that testing showing virtually no surface defects, discoloring, yellowing, or hardness fluctuations over the service life of the component. 14 MARCH 2010 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw
PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY plasticstoday.com/mpw PROCESSING TRENDS PROFILE EXTRUSION Debuting at International Builders Show, a WPC but without the wood By Clare Goldsberry Walking the International Builders Show 2010 (Jan. 19-21) at the Las Vegas Convention Center revealed a lot about where the building and construction market is headed with respect to alternative building materials that meet today’s consumers’ demands for easy-installation, maintenance-free products. It also revealed that the growing body of experience with wood-plastic composites (WPCs) has not been entirely positive, and some processors hope to take advantage of the failings of established WPC profiles with their own new offerings, some of which dispense entirely with wood. One example, introduced at the show, is LifeTime Lumber, billed as a low-maintenance, eco-friendly, and fire-resistant wood-alternative decking, fencing, and dock material. It’s akin to a wood-plastic composite, just without the wood. LifeTime Lumber is made from inert material recovered from the electric power generation industry. It includes thermoset plastics combined in a patented mixture with fly ash, a nonhazardous inert material, extruded with a polyurethane outer layer. The resulting wood-alternative lumber does not figure in a termite’s menu, doesn’t allow for growth of mold or mildew, absorbs no water, and won’t significantly expand or contract. “This alternative doesn’t even have the problems that woodplastic composites have because there’s absolutely no wood in LifeTime Lumber,” says James Mahler Jr., president of LifeTime Lumber, headquartered in Carlsbad, CA. “Because of that, it doesn’t need fungicides, herbicides, or other ‘cides’ in the mixture.” The lumber is extruded at a facility in Brodhead, WI that makes polyurethane products for the automotive industry. Another wood-replacement product was introduced by Royal Outdoor Products with its new Novation decking, RIM Process encapsulates electronics, forms housings in a single step Thermoplastic injection molders of housings for E/E applications, as well as fi rms that use thermosets or ceramic to encapsulate the sensitive electronics within those housings, face an interesting new threat. The BaySystems polyurethane systems house in Otterup, Denmark, part of Bayer MaterialScience’s network of polyurethane systems houses, has worked with Swiss PUR processing machinery manufacturer Isotherm AG (Uetendorf) to develop what it says is a cost-effective reaction injection molding (RIM) process for the production of housings and the encapsulation/protection of sensitive electronic components in a single step. Typically production of these requires several separate steps: Housings are injection molded from thermoplastics, sensitive electronics are encapsulated in thermoset resin or ceramic, and then the which has the look of real wood planks. The company extrudes the planks from cellular PVC that stands up to chairs, spilled drinks, and harsh weather. Unlike composite decking that contains wood, Novation won’t absorb moisture. Deck the decks with rolls of plastics Plastics processors have taken many approaches to replacing wood in building and construction-related applications, but the IBS also revealed there are still more wood-replacement avenues to wander. For example, extrusion processor United Plastics Corp. of Mt. Airy, NC extended its range of brand-name products with the launch at IBS of ProFekt, a recyclable, realistic-wood extruded sheet designed to be used to cover old wooden deck and patio surfaces. ProFekt installs directly onto deck and patio surfaces to eliminate direct air and water contact with the surface and give old decks a new look without replacing the lumber. ProFekt is available in extruded rolls 21.5 inches wide by 12 ft long and in 5.5-inch-wide-by-40-ft-long planks. ProFekt can be cut with a simple razor knife to the desired measurements, and then rolled over the old wooden surface using a vinyl adhesive and finishing nails at the top and bottom to hold it in place. “Installing ProFekt will double and even triple the life of decks and patios with minimal maintenance for years,” according to Jack Nagy Sr., VP of sales and marketing for United Plastics Corp. latter is inserted in the former. The new RIM process enables both the housing and the protection to be produced in a single step—one plug from one cast. The process makes use of polyurethane from the supplier’s Baydur E and Bayflex E ranges. The PUR for these applications can be formulated to meet individual requirements—from soft, solid elastomers to semi-rigid and impactresistant integral skin foams. The materials are said to have very short reaction times while releasing minimal heat and showing low shrinkage. Their low viscosity means that even encapsulation of difficult-to-reach areas of an electronic MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • MARCH 2010 15
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Page 51 and 52: CALENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH 5-9 Taipei
Page 53 and 54: See us at Chinaplas 2010, Hall E1,

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