SMC Compression Moulding
SMC is a pre-impregnated sheet of chopped glass and resin that is placed in a heated matched mould and pressed to shape. Cycle times drop to minutes and dimensional repeatability is excellent, so it is the composite process for automotive exterior panels in the thousands to tens of thousands.
Qué hacemos
Class-A surface suitable
Class-A surface suitable for automotive exterior panels
Cycle times of 2–5 minutes per part
Cycle times of 2–5 minutes per part
Excellent dimensional repeatability
Excellent dimensional repeatability
Compression presses with matched steel tooling
Compression presses with matched steel tooling
Ribs, bosses and inserts moulded into the part
Ribs, bosses and inserts moulded into the part
1,000–50,000 parts per tool
1,000–50,000 parts per tool
Materiales
| Standard and structural SMC |
| Low-density SMC |
| Class-A automotive SMC |
| Carbon-fibre SMC |
| Flame-retardant grades |
| In-mould coated SMC |
Especificaciones clave
| Especificación | Detalles |
|---|---|
| Quantity | 1,000+ parts per year |
| Cycle time | 2–5 min per part |
| Thickness | 1.5–6 mm |
| Tolerance | ±0.3 mm on formed features |
| Tool life | 10,000–100,000 parts |
| Press | Compression press with matched steel moulds |
Acabados superficiales y postprocesado
In-mould coating for a paintable surface
In-mould coating for a paintable surface
Class-A finishing
Class-A finishing
Primed and painted panels
Primed and painted panels
Moulded-in texture and grain
Moulded-in texture and grain
Preguntas frecuentes
When does SMC make sense?
Above roughly 1,000 parts per year. Tooling is expensive but cycle times are measured in minutes, so SMC usually beats other composite processes from a few thousand units onwards.
Does SMC give a paintable surface?
Yes. With in-mould coating and a finishing sequence the surface accepts automotive paint to A-class standards, which is why it dominates exterior composite body panels.
Is SMC strong enough for structural use?
Structural grades with longer fibres approach steel stiffness-to-weight ratios and are used for underbody shields and brackets. We validate load cases with your engineering team.
FRP / GRP Composites capabilities
FRP / GRP Composites overview
Glass & carbon fiber parts for automotive, motorsport, marine.
Hand Lay-Up FRP
Hand lay-up and spray-up FRP for one-off panels, prototypes and small series. Low tooling cost, glass or carbon fibre, gel-coated finishes.
Vacuum Infusion
Vacuum infusion and RTM Light for consistent, low-void composite parts. Better fibre ratios and repeatability than hand lay-up, for 50-1,000 parts.
Resin Transfer Moulding
RTM and RTM Light for two-sided finished composite parts. Closed mould injection gives tight dimensions and class-A surfaces on both faces.
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