- 14 May 2007 -
Polyurethane RIM system sets sail
BAYER MATERIALSCIENCE’S Baydur® 667, a polyurethane reaction injection moulding (RIM) system, has been selected for use in a lightweight, waterproof dashboard for boats.
Technicians from Bayer worked alongside engineers from boat component supplier Indiana Marine of Angola, Indiana, USA, and mould manufacturer EPW Inc of Elkhart, Indiana, to produce the dashboard. The Baydur 667 polyurethane RIM system was chosen for this application, according to the company, because it is light in weight, rigid, and able to encapsulate and support all the instruments, switches and gauges that have to be accommodated in the dash. The system also has the ability to mould varying thick and thin cross sections, creating bosses and ribbing on the back for easy assembly.
“We were looking for a material that could flow easily into a mould and had the dimensional stability and structural integrity to stand on its own,” says Anthony Kalil, Indiana Marine’s design consultant. “Ideally we also wanted a material that could be sandwiched with other material to create a good quality textured surface.”
The Delta Dash is manufactured by EPW Inc using a foam-in-place vinyl-clad moulding process. The first step involves theremoforming a vinyl cover stock and placing it in the cavity of the RIM mould. The polyurethane system is then shot on the back of the vinyl and any excess vinyl is removed from the edges. A range of different vinyl colours can be used to match the interior of the boat. The part, measuring around 75 x 65 x 25 cm, is then shipped to Indiana Marine, where the dash is further customised by thermoforming the instrument and switch clusters in a variety of configurations.
Bayer MaterialScience; www.bayermaterialscience.com
Indiana Marine; www.indianamarine.com
EPW Inc; www.epw.com
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