Polyurethanes Asia

First CCM system in Japan
A Japanese automotive supplier is coating wooden decor strips for high-end car interiors using Clear Coat Moulding (CCM). The metering machine, mixing heads, robot, moulds and tooling for the system were supplied by Germany-based KraussMaffei.

CCM applies a uniform, scratchproof, transparent coating to walnut or other wood veneers used as decor elements in luxury vehicles. A very thin layer of PU is flow moulded over the parts in the mould. The company says that an advantage, compared with conventional varnishing, is that a CCM product takes only one work cycle to complete.

The mould is designed so that, once the parts are placed in the cavity and the mould closed, a gap equal to the desired coating thickness remains. This gap is filled with PU in the high-pressure CCM process. Using this technique, premium quality clear coatings can be produced in a short time.

The CCM production system includes a mould carrier and mould. The mixing head is mounted on a centrally positioned robot so that it can be docked alternately on to the moulds and the CCM material discharged into the cavities. The relatively short pauses between shots mean there are no problems with hardened material and the mixing head delivers a high yield of finished parts.

Since its market launch in 2001, CCM has been especially used by European automotive component suppliers. The company says that it has received enquiries for the system in Asia, too.