The manufacture of SMC is a continuous in-line process in which the material (a viscous paste comprised of the three aforementioned base components) is metered onto a polyethylene and nylon film. Glass fibers are chopped and randomly deposited on the paste to provide the desired glass content. Paste is also metered onto a top film of polyethylene and nylon film. The top and bottom films then come together and sandwich the chopped glass in the middle. The material then travels through a compaction unit that kneads the paste into the glass for proper wet-out. The finished material is packaged in festoon fashion into either a box or returnable container. The finished material is then staged in IDI’s maturation room at an optimized temperature and humidity in order to mature the material to the correct release viscosity.

“Design engineers in multiple markets — including automotive, heavy truck, and appliance — are enhancing their product assemblies and significantly reducing materials cost by converting their new product designs to thermoset SMC,” commented Tom Flood, vice president of IDI Composites International. “The improvements to our SMC line are vital to accommodate the increasing demand for custom SMC formulations, while maintaining our long-standing commitment to quality and on-time delivery.”