Design Guide 2 'PAINTING SMC: ADDING VALUE THROUGH A PERFECT FINISH'
The appearance of a product, as well as the touch and feel, are key elements of a successful design and in many cases strongly influence the user’s attraction to the product. The full range of SMC finish- ing options available today – from high-gloss, Class A finishes superior to painted metal, to matt and novel textured surfaces – supports the expansion of this versatile composite material into new appli- cations and markets. In this second guide in our series, we find out how to achieve the highest quality finish on SMC parts and discover how state-of-the-art coating technologies can deliver significant cost savings over conventional processes.
Sheet moulding compound (SMC) and bulk mould- ing compound (BMC) are fibre reinforced polymers, also known as composite materials. They consist of a thermoset resin (typically an unsaturated polyes- ter), a fibre reinforcement, an inorganic filler, and various additives designed to improve processabili- ty and performance. Formulations can be tailored to deliver specific properties in the final product, such as fire resistance.
Earlier this month the Jury of the SMC BMC Design Award 2024 selected the finalists out of all submitted projects. The winners will come to the Award Ceremony at JEC World in Paris on March 6 to present their designs and receive a nice price.