High Productivity/Low Cost Manufacturing Approach to SRIM Molding

Structural Reaction Injection Molding (SRIM) is generally regarded as a thoroughly developed technology and is currently utilized in many automotive applications; most prominently door panels but also other applications, for example package trays and headliners. The traditional production process involves the placement of a glass fiber mat into a mold prior to injection of a suitable liquid resin system. Upon removal of the part, the glass mat is thoroughly encapsulated by the resin system forming a structural composite material. In the new Long Fiber Injection (LFI) process, the glass fibers are injected along with the resin mixture onto the production mold. This new process demonstrates a new approach to high productivity, low cost manufacture of LD-SRIM composites.