REINFORCED REACTION INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS and MATERIALS for AUTOMOTIVE BODY PANELS

The Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) process is being used extensively for the production of soft urethane bumper fascias and offers many advantages compared to other polymer processes. The addition of fiber reinforcement to R.I.M. urethanes has resulted in significant improvements in physical properties, making additional automotive applications possible.

The development of Reinforced R.I.M. technology is currently underway at General Motors Manufacturing Development with a production scale mix-metering unit that was installed in September 1977. Reinforcement length and loading limitations, equipment wear and durability, and Reinforced R.I.M. physical properties are discussed.

The advantages of Reinforced R.I.M. materials are also described along with potential automotive applications.