The paint shop of automobile manufacturers is capital intensive and faces problems of polluting the environment with volatile solvents, prompting all the major auto manufacturers to consider looking at an alternate option. The answer to this can be provided by decorated plastic films, by using the films in the “In Mould Process” or “Thick sheet forming”.

In Mould Decoration is not new and has in fact been in use for more than a decade. In Mold Decoration (IMD) with formable film inserts is replacing traditional post-mold painting, printing, hot stamping and chrome plating. The process achieved its first successes in modestly sized and relatively flat parts for interior and exterior automotive trims and cell phones. Today, IMD technology has progressed to much larger 3D parts such as entire instrument panels, bumpers, fascias, roofs and even hoods for cars and trucks. What’s said to be the first commercial unpainted horizontal body panel has already appeared on the Smart two-seat roadster. In fact, NPE 2003 showcased significant IMD innovations, all aimed mainly at auto products. IMD can achieve a Class A surface and eliminates the expense of secondary operations, which is proving especially attractive to the automotive industry. However, the economics of IMD can suffer if there are a large number of holes in a part as the holes require a post-mold trimming operation.

There are several applications, particularly in the exterior of automobile, that are being actively considered for IMD technique. Recently Thick Sheet Forming Technique (TSF) with decorated film is also being explored for large automotive parts.
One advantage of TSF is its relative simplicity. TSF requires only sheets and a forming machine, whereas IMD for injection molding requires two machines, two tools and two starting materials. TSF reduces variables and quality risks. Thermoforming tools for TSF are less expensive as compared to injection molds for IMD and they can be delivered in a shorter time. TSF is most suitable for large, flat panels and relatively low volume parts and it does have limits on draw depth, radii and contours. There is a possibility that TSF parts could suffer colour changes from excessive stretching and thinning of films in high-draw-ratio parts. TSF is also more limited than injection molding in incorporating holes or attachments.
IMD technique has been used for quite some time on electronic products such as mobile telephones, laptop PCS and host of other products.
What is new is the recent development of IMD or TSF for automotive exteriors. If this development succeeds,  perhaps painting of automobile may cease. Of course it will take at least a decade or even longer.

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