Recticel Automobilsysteme Gmbh

Geert Van Houcke

Hugo De Winter

Yvan Vanluchene

Koen Vanlandschoot

Kristof Benoit

Peter De Wilde

Peter DeWilde

Jürgen Breest

Juergen Breest

The present invention relates to a method for producing a flexible elastomeric composite polyurethane skin wherein a polyurethane reaction mixture is sprayed onto a mold surface and the polyurethane reaction mixture is allowed to cure to produce the skin layer. The polyurethane reaction mixture is composed of components comprising at least an isocyanate component, isocyanate-reactive components and a catalyst component and the isocyanate component is composed of at least one isocyanate having at least two NCO-groups which are not directly attached to an aromatic group. The catalyst component is substantially free of lead, which leads to a lower flexibility. In accordance with the invention, the flexibility of the polyurethane skin is increased by means of at least one flexibiliser which reduces the flexural modulus of the skin and which comprises at least one isocyanate-reactive group. The flexibiliser is preferably a monofunctional flexibiliser which comprises only one isocyanate-reactive group.

Method for producing a flexible composite elastomeric polyurethane skin

The present invention relates to a method for producing a flexible elastomeric composite polyurethane skin comprising a first and a second flexible polyurethane layer obtained by spraying a first and a second polyurethane reaction mixture onto one another. The first reaction mixture is an aliphatic polyurethane reaction mixture which is free of lead and formulated to produce a polyurethane elastomer having a flexural modulus smaller than 35 MPa. The second reaction mixture is an aromatic polyurethane reaction mixture producing a polyurethane elastomer having a smaller flexural modulus. The thickness of the aliphatic polyurethane layer could be made so small with respect to the thickness of the aromatic polyurethane layer that the composite skin has an average flexural modulus smaller than 30 MPa. Notwithstanding the lower reactivity of the aliphatic polyurethane reaction mixture, especially when using a higher NCO-index to reduce the 'rubbery feel' and the emission of VOCs and/or a flexibiliser to achieve a higher flexibility, sufficiently short cycle times can be achieved due to the accelerated curing observed when spraying the aromatic polyurethane sufficiently early against the aliphatic polyurethane layer.

A method for manufacturing molded flexible plastic skins () differing in their shape from each other, each skin being molded against a mold surface () of a mold (), comprises the steps: &#x2014;providing a mold surface () matching the shape of the skin to be molded by using a first mold surface provided by the mold itself or by altering the first mold surface by placing one or more mold inserts covering only a part of the first mold surface onto said mold surface and thereby providing an alternative second mold surface, &#x2014;applying a plastic compound to be brought to shape by the mold surface () provided, &#x2014;bringing to shape the plastic compound applied to the mold surface (), and &#x2014;demolding the molded skin () from the effective mold surface ().

Method for producing a moulded skin and mould arrangement therefore

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Aalst, Belgium

Geert Van Houcke