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 IM
process is based on the injection of the two polyurethane components
(polyalcohol and isocyanate) inside a mold cavity. The automotive
market represents the most important applications for this product,
such as dashboards, interior panels, and under-body shields. Many
truck components are also manufactured with RIM, such as bumper-beams,
front-ends, and grills. |
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The
principle of RIM consists of injecting into a closed mold, under low
pressure (72 PSI), two or more reactive components mixed within a
nozzle just prior to their introduction into the mold. The reaction,
in the case of a polyol and an isocyanate, leads to the formation
of a polyurethane.
The introduction of short strands, such as milled fibers, directly
into one of the two reactive constituents leads to the injection of
a pre-reinforced mixture. This is known as R-RIM (Reinforced Reaction
Injection Molding). The introduction of long strand reinforcements
-- such as continuous filament mats, fabrics, complexes or chopped
strand preforms -- into the mold before the injection takes place
allows parts with higher mechanical performance to be obtained. In
this case, the process is known as S-RIM (Structural Reaction Injection
Molding). |
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Click on picture to enlarge. |
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LFI: Long Fiber Injection, where the reinforcement is an assembled
roving which is chopped and projected together with the two matrix
components inside an open mold prior to mold closure.
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Asia Pacific
