BMC - UP - Menzolit GmbH

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Industry Revives Business: Thermosets
... about 2%, including thermoplastic-based composites. Individual processing methods have been showing different trends (Fig.1 right). The slight increase in production by compression and injection moulding processes reflects significant losses in BMC production (about 5%, for example, from 2002 to 2003), which have been more than offset by SMC applications, especially for commercial vehicles. Filament winding and rotational moulding processes and recently also pultrusion are gathering new impetus...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Barrier Properties: Permeability of Polymer Alloys
...strial applications, electronics and packaging. A key property of (polyamide (PA)+polyolefin (PO)) alloys is improved barrier effect as compared with polyamide on its own. Typical applications include SMC (sheet moulding compounds; title picture), BMC (bulk moulding compounds), EPS (expanded polystyrene) and fuel lines (Fig.1), for which impermeability to styrene, pentane or fuels is required. General Case This section will give a short overview of solvent permeation through a polymer alloy. On...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
.... This also applies to most thermoplastics. A speciality are the fibre-reinforced plastics (glass or carbon fibres) which can only be bonded with two-pack adhesives after surface treatment that does not damage the fibres. In the case of the SMC and BMC moulding compounds often employed in automotive construction, the mould release agents on the surface must be borne in mind. But, given appropriate priming, epoxided and polyurethane adhesives may be used. The heat stress which a bonded joint can ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
...on the bonding of plastics in the advanced module "Plastics and Other Materials". This module focuses on material properties, special pre-treatment regimes for activating surfaces, and bonding of fibre-reinforced plastics (GRP, CRP, SMC, and BMC). Practical work under comparable conditions enables the trainees to prove their mettle. Final exams and oral tests ensure that the requisite skills levels have actually been attained. These training courses are now offered by the IFAM in Bremen ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Broad Spectrum
...polyester circuit breakers were produced in a four part mould. An interesting innovation on this machine was the automated reloading function of the supply unit Polyset, presently in the testing phase (Fig.). A lifting station is evenly filled with BMC melt. If the AZ unit must be refilled the lifting station automatically carries the material over the supply unit and unloads its contents into the previously automatically opened screw stuffer AZ. This additional device is particularly suitable f...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compression Moulding of Long-fibre-reinforced Plastics
Compression Moulding of Long-fibre-reinforced Plastics Rolf Liebold, Bretten/Germany Large-area components are produced from both the thermoset materials, SMC and BMC, and the thermoplastic semi-finished products, LFT and GMT. In both sectors, new applications have been developed. The article describes the advances being made in industrial-scale processing. The manufacture of SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound) has already been described in detail elsewhere [1] and this article will only cover t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost Explosion: Glass Fibre-reinforced Plastics (GRP)
...onmental legislation have resulted in a move away from open mould to closed mould techniques – which is the most significant trend observed over recent years. More automated closed mould processes like infusion /injection moulding, RTM and SMC/BMC will continue to replace manual processes with an annual growth, in terms of value, of around 7%. Within this environment where margins are under pressure, market growth is stagnating and there is an imminent threat of further legislation (REACH), the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Customised Mould Technology: Integrated Rotary Platform for Flexible Two-Component Production
...re it employs around 60 staff. Operating its own design and production facilities, Schweiger concentrates mainly on producing high-quality injection moulds for sophisticated parts. Key areas are two-component moulds and polyester BMC moulds weighing up to 16t. The company offers its customers a one-stop shop in which samples can be produced in the pilot plant under service conditions up as far as production readiness. A Zeiss measuring machine is on hand for producing the first sample test repor...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ecological Beneficial Composites
...ase of thermoplastics the necessary fibre wetting is much more easily attainable because of the lower viscosity of the monomers and/or binding resins in thermosetting polymers. The most usual procedures are - SMC process (Sheet Moulding Compound), - BMC process (Bulk Moulding Compound), - RIM process (Reaction Injection Moulding) as well as - RTM process (Resin Transfer Moulding). Comparison of Fibre Characteristics Important characteristic values of the reinforcement fibres are above all thei...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-Resistant GRP Systems
...se employ ammonium polyphosphate (APP) to form a layer of black carbon foam on the surface that prevents further burning. ATH is preferred for compounds that require high filler loading, such as sheet-moulding compound (SMC), bulk moulding compound (BMC) and continuous impregnating compound (CIC) as well as for manual laminating techniques and pultrusion. APP is primarily used for rendering intumescent those systems which preclude high filler loading. Wetting and dispersing additives are added i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Glass-Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (GRP)
...ibre spraying, which both show a growth of about 4 %. Remarkably, hand lay-up resins are still the biggest resin segment. The automotive industry, which has been the engine of growth in recent years, is currently showing more modest growth. The SMC/BMC market is stagnating at a high level, while GMT/LFT were still able to grow. The panel industry, which is dependent on the automotive industry, was also not able to escape from the weak market. The sector of centrifugal casting or winding of pipes...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding and Crosslinking
Injection Moulding and Crosslinking Economical Processing of Polyester BMC and Thermosets Dietrich Hunold and Hans Wobbe, Munich/Germany Thermoset plastic moulding compounds are still associated with outdated processing techniques. Huge innovations in thermoplastic materials, particularly their heat resistance, have even led to predictions of the early demise of thermosets for large-scale plastic applications. However, thermoset processing has caught up. It is now a highly economical, state-of-t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market for GRP and Thermosets
...an offer. GMT and LFT, which are used almost exclusively in the automotive sector, recorded 8.8 % growth (Fig. 1).The year 2000 promises to be exceptionally successful for GRP. According to AVK-TV forecasts, the favourites of the previous year, SMC/BMC and GMT/LFT, can maintain their growth rates. The increases in the spray lay-up and hand lay-up sectors may be more moderate, since the RTM process is becoming increasingly well established for the construction of wind power plants. Thermosets on...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Processing of Thermosetting Resins: Pioneering Spirit Needed for Survival of the Species
... in the plasticating unit. For uniform, easily controlled heating, they are usually divided into two or three zones (Fig. 2). The screw is designed purely for conveying or to exert slight compression and does not have a non-return valve, except when BMC is being processed. For processing non-abrasive moulding compounds, the barrel and screw can be made of nitrided steel. Fibreglass and mineral-filled moulding compounds also require bimetallic barrel designs and usually powder metallurgical steel...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality of SMC Surfaces: Paintability Enhanced
...ressed. In order to observe the differences between various systems, it became necessary to minimise the effect of the fibreglass and concentrate on the substrate. This was accomplished by employing a modified bulk moulding compound (BMC) process. Material was compounded with 0.25-in glass fibres comprising 10% of the system by weight, as opposed to the 25-30% loading of 1.0-in glass in standard Class ‘A’ SMC. This reduced loading with shorter fibres proved effective in providing samples that ha...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quo Vadis - SMC in Automotive Construction
...th to strength or whether it will pale into insignificance. In the automotive industry, SMC finds itself currently both on the verge of another new departure and at a parting of the ways. In the 1980s, many applications were implemented in SMC and BMC, but now many of the follow-up series were made in sheet metal. While the reasons for this are not always clear, poor quality and high costs often undermined the advantages of the GRP solutions. But now, with projects either at the planning stage...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reinforced Plastics: Caught Up Again
...s, the reinforced plastics sector has done a good job of catching up with the development of the plastics industry as a whole. Upon closer observation, however, a more differentiated picture emerges. Not all the subsectors can boast growth rates – BMC production, for example, is in decline. Winding technology and compression moulding technology are amongst the areas showing sustainable positive development – a general trend that was clearly evident at this year's K fair. Thermoplastic system...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Simulation: Describing Processing Operations with Models
...ugh generating the mesh takes much longer for these calculations, and higher computing times and more memory space is required, these simulations are the only way of simulating parts correctly (Fig.3). The left side of Fig.4 shows the actual BMC part while the simulated filling is shown on the right. Mention can also be made of a large number of simulations that are calculated with two and three-dimensional finite element programs. Manas-Zloczower and their working group at the Case Western Rese...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, SMC and BMC
SMC and BMC New Applications - New Markets Michael Sommer, Wesel/Germany SMC and BMC applications have different focuses in different regions of the world: in Japan they are concentrated in the sanitary sector, in the USA it is automotives and in Europe electrical engineering, with an increasing interest also in automotive engineering. Plant technology for a modern SMC/BMC production has reached a high technical standard. It now allows highly economic production of SMC parts in medium an...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, SMC/BMC in the Automobile
SMC/BMC in the Automobile Review of the JEC Composites Show 2002 in Paris Composites and automobile design were the focuses of the automobile forum held at the JEC. So far automotive manufacturers have mainly employed SMC/BMC materials for small series and sports cars – principally for reasons of cost and design. But that is likely to change. Automotive engineering was undoubtedly one of the central themes at this year’s JEC Composites Show in Paris. This year, the international trade fair...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Trends in Automotive Headlamps
.... UltrasonE or S from BASF), which give designers wider scope. Lighting unit: The lighting unit is of course subject to extremely high temperatures. The reflectors are therefore made of either sheet metal or metallised injection moulded thermoset (BMC) or amorphous HT thermoplastic (PC-HT, PEI, PSU, PES). Only unreinforced amorphous high temperature thermoplastics or painted thermosets meet the required narrow tolerances and also have a surface quality suitable for metallisation of the injection...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-05-22, Market Overview: Sun over Taiwan
...hanical, Taipei, we spoke with Sam Y.S. Tsai, director of the export department. This company has developed and built special machines for 20 years, among them injection moulding machines for PET preforms, machines for processing BMC and two-colour machines with a rotary platen. The company relies on components “Made in Taiwan” and a production facility in China for standard machines. Mr. Tsai also plans to exhibit an all-electric machine at the next K-Show. For the first time at an exhibition,...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, Trend Outline: Integration and Intelligence
...s. Thermosetting materials are increasingly used even for high-temperature applications, thus supplementing thermoplastics. Beside thermosets in a free-flowing form, also thready bulk moulding compounds (BMC) are increasingly used. Further efforts are being undertaken on enhancing continuous feeding of these compounds. Process Innovations Tap New Fields of Applications. Processing powder materials such as steel, hard metal or ceramic powder opens up new areas of application. Powder injection m...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-27, Styling: Headlight Components Made from Thermoset Material
...hermoplastic materials. These formulations, specially tailored for different applications, are compounded in large quantities for processing. Because they are relatively simple to prepare in large quantities, these so-called bulk moulding compounds (BMC) generally offer an advantage over thermoplastic materials. Injection moulding and injection/compression moulding materials are reinforced with short and, in some cases, medium-length, fibres. They may be added in chopped, rod or pellet form [1]....

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, An Adventure Park for Injection Moulders
...lrounder A machines demonstrated their fast-running qualities with the production of a rechargeable battery housing in a cycle time of 3s and beakers in 2s. A peripheral innovation for feeding in moist polyester (BMC) was presented on an "Allrounder advance" hybrid machine. This was a screw stuffing unit which facilitates the processing of this glass fibre filled thermoset moulding compound. "Mining" Plastics To illustrate the key importance that machine manufacturers attach to...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Prince Charming
...he portfolio covers inexpensive standard solutions, as well as machines for special processes, such as multicomponent technology, IML, fluid-assisted injection technology, SMC, BMC, LSR or LFT. All processes are simulated in the pilot plant in Bellignat, France. Billion has been headquartered here – in the heart of the French-Swiss Plastic Valley of Oyonnax – for over 50 years, and now employs over 200 people. The company, which describes itself as a market leader in France, concentrates on sale...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polyarylsulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
...argest contemporary automotive application of amorphous HT thermoplastics in terms of quantity is represented by reflectors and housings for automobile headlights and fog lights (approx. 9,000t/a). Here PESU and PEI compete mainly with BMC. Their advantages lie in their economy for production by injection molding, the design freedom which that involves, as well as their capability for direct metallizing by vacuum coating processes (sputtering or steam treatment). Other metal and thermoset parts ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Technology being Consolidated
...acuum for Higher Quality Lauffer GmbH & Co. KG, Horb, Germany, is well known as a manufacturer of horizontal and vertical automatic plastic compression molding machines with a turntable for processing thermosets and filled plastic compounds such as BMC (Fig. 1). A newcomer in the product range is a vacuum press for rubber processing. The company’s know-how from the field of laminated printed circuit boards and chip cards in which operations are usually carried out under vacuum has gone into the...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Made in Greater China and Taiwan
... fully electric and a hybrid injection molding machine have been added to the range. At the center of discussions on the Nan Rong stand were the special machines and accessories for injection molding PET preforms, for processing BMC and rotary platform machines on which the company has specialized in Taiwan. The company has a production plant in Ningbo, this site, however, only serving the Chinese market with standard machines. Taiwan is one of the largest producers for the IT sector where, inte...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-05-10, Injection Molding on a Low Flame
...ed technology, powder injection molding, in-mold labeling, insert technology and exjection; the variety of the materials processed, besides familiar commodities and certain thermoplastic elastomers, covered liquid crystalline polymers (LCP), BMC wet polyester, liquid silicone (LSR) and leather fiber- and wood-plastic compounds. More than 50 Exhibits and Numerous Special Processes As usually, there was strong interest in the special applications/automation systems, which Arburg showed to demons...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-07-15, Three Steps to Success
..., optimizing them before application at our production sites. For certain products our Reutlingen factory also conducts serial manufacturing of, e.g. the Audi R8 headlamp covers." The Swabia factory runs 13 injection molding machines to process BMC, as well as three plants for thermoplastic injection molding. "No matter what purpose – components have to face ever-increasing demands today. This compels processors to tackle the subjects of multiple temperature control, energy-effi...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Cross-Linked Precision
...unststofftechnik GmbH, Brilon, Germany, shows the advantages of these materials. In the past, the components were made of aluminum, but the lightweight metal parts required complex machining. This is why unsaturated polyester resins in the form of BMCs are now being used (Title picture). Even without machining, the injection molded housing parts have very small tolerances, due to their dimensional stability. The throttle valve body went into mass production about two years ago and is fin...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Full Advantage of Optimization Potential Taken
Mitras Composites Systems GmbH in Radeburg, Germany, supplies components, modules and systems of glass fiber-reinforced plastics. Materials such as SMC (Sheet Molding Compound) and BMC (Bulk Molding Compound) are processed for products used in power distribution, telecommunication, engineering, construction and industrial applications. The company offers all respective services, starting from conception up to the serial product. It has at its disposal fourteen presses with clampi...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyarylsulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
...terials must possess very high dimensional stability – especially given the current trend towards more complex designs – because the heat must not alter the shape and orientation of the light cone. The key advantage over thermoset BMC is the possibility of direct metallization. In this process, a thin layer of aluminum is deposited from a vacuum vapor or by vacuum sputtering onto freshly injection molded parts. This market has been well served for some time by polyethersulfones (PESU), s...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Thermosets
...y 80°C. In this way total curing times can be reduced by about 15 % [www.hexcel.com]. Ecologistics When trying to achieve minimum environmental pollution it turns out that chemistry alone may only be part of the solution. In a new low-VOC SMC/BMC system not only were all the individual components, including peroxides, inhibitors and other additives, adjusted to the lowest possible emissions, but also the distribution logistics were altered. Only by the resin manufacturer supplying a ready-formul...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Material for Efficiency Boost
... kg compared with aluminum. Forces up to 2,500 N are introduced by the drive belts, which exceeds the capabilities of thermoplastics. In the area of air ducts, there are attempts to manufacture throttle body housings using BMC (bulk molding compound). Universal driveshafts made of fiber composite plastics – which have been known since the 1980s – are likely to see a renaissance. They could replace the one-part steel shafts, thus reducing weight between 15 and 40 %, depending on the type ...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-04-16, Flexible Job Assignment
...tered subsequently directly at the injection molding machine. A demo system with an Allrounder 570 S (2,200 kN clamping force) was also shown at the Fakuma. It molded a 290 g insulating rail for a clothes iron out of polyester bulk molding compound (BMC) in a cycle time of 55 s. After removing the parts from the mold, the six-axis robot transported the parts to additional stations in the production cell, e.g. for finishing the outer contour as well as for quality assurance and testing (Fig. 4). ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Polyarylsulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
... low water absorption, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), low shrinkage and low crystallization tendency. Furthermore, no fogging or aging effects should occur even at high temperatures. The crucial advantage over thermoplastic BMC is the possibility of direct metallization. Polyethersulfones such as Ultrason E 2010 Q26 from BASF and polyetherimide (PEI) from Sabic have proven suitable here. Solvay also offers directly metallizable polyethersulfones for the lighting sector, which are de...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-04-20, Production Efficiency at the Focus of Attention
...Application Technology Another novelty Arburg presented was the “twin-screw injester”. It features a servo-electric drive and can process a wide range of highly viscous and past-like materials, e.g. moist polyester (BMC), solid silicone (HTV) and wax. The plant features liquid tempering, a servo drive that can be programmed infinitely, as well as pressure-controlled material feeding, all of which provides for the non-flowing materials to be fed to the injection unit in a gentle way. A total of c...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, Manufacturing without Wrinkles
... number increases to 9,000 to 10,000 units,” says Maier, explaining the seasonal variations in the iron business. An iron consists of about 150 individual parts. One of the most conspicuous parts is a heat shield made of a fiber-matrix BMC: it makes up about 30 % of the weight of all plastic parts and separates the hot sole from the handle and water tank. The two latter components are predominantly made of polypropylene (PP). The rotary wheels or switches are often made of polycarbonate (PC). “I...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-01-23, LFT Production: Greater Value in Combination
..., for instance, the classical thermosetting plastics reinforced with long glass fibers (GRP).Manual laminating of GRP is very labor-intensive and thus time-consuming, while mechanical compression molding methods using SMC (sheet molding compound) or BMC (bulk molding compound) require expensive molds that can be justified only for long production runs. Moreover, the polyester resins that are usually used in this case are relatively brittle and experience significant outgassing during processing,...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-05-22, Sustainability Depending on the Details
... (SMC) has high market relevance in the processing of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (GFRPC). This is based on the fact that approximately 25 % of all glass fibers produced in Europe are handled in SMC and related Bulk Molding Compound (BMC) processes [1]. Normally, a sheet molding compound consists of a thermoset resin system, mostly based on unsaturated polyester resin, glass fibers, additives and various fillers. It shows mechanical properties which allow the use in semi-structural...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-08-21, More Stability Increases Attractiveness
...lity consistency in numerous applications [8].As part of the research project, KraussMaffei is now investigating whether such process control can be transferred to the injection molding of free-flowing thermoset and polyester bulk molding compounds (BMC). The basis for the development of an adaptive process control is a basic understanding of the interactions between process parameters and material properties. Preceding investigations have shown that the Adaptive Process Control system key perfo...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-12-21, Determining the Optimum Heating Concept for BMC
To be able to cost efficiently design complex molds, e. g. for BMC components, it is essential to take into account the mold cooling. Thus, the mold costs increase in a linear relationship with the number of heating cartridges provided. It is therefore desirable to aim for as few cartridges as possible, but at the same time, this can have a disadvantageous effect on the homogeneity of the temperature distribution and the robustness of the process. Until now, these conflicting goals were largely ...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-05-15, Rediscovered Component of Hybrid Parts
...value compared to thermoplastics. In addition, the lower shrinkage of thermoset molding compounds (Fig. 1) reduces the internal stresses that act on the electronic parts after overmolding, as is shown not only by the comparison of an EP and a BMC molding compound with a PBT.Compared to the previous process, in which circuit boards are potted in housings, the overmolding process represents a neat economic advantage. The one-step process eliminates potting applications taking several minutes, as w...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-11-09, Breeding Ground for Additive Manufacturing
... succeeded to 3D print materials of various mechanical properties and colors. "Sometimes you want to combine hard and soft materials, and for a more natural look of dentures we need to incorporate realistic stains," explains Peterse. While BMC brings in its expertise in the effect and performance of material combinations both in the printing process and in the final product, Océ is providing the printer head to ensure the right transparency and color droplets based on a 3D full-color workflow so...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-12-19, More Precision for Sensitive Fast Curing Compounds
...ibility of automated correction, one would be helpless in the face of these mechanisms.The Volumetric Filling of the Cavity Remains ConstantThese fluctuations are compensated by APC plus – both for free-flowing thermosets and BMC (bulk molding compound) as well as liquid and solid silicones (LSR and HTV/HCR). The stored material-specific compression curves provide the prerequisite for this (Fig. 3). Here, one can see that, for example, the mass column of an organically filled phenolic resin is c...