Vice dashboard mould is a component that integrates safety, functionality, comfort, and decoration. As an assembly of various indicating instruments and ignition switches installed in the cab, it reflects the driving status of the vehicle at any time. At the same time, it also controls the air conditioning system, electronic audio system, lighting system, etc. With the development of the automotive industry, vice dashboard mould is one of the important automotive interior parts, and consumers have put forward higher requirements in terms of comfort, beauty, lightweight, and low odor. So, what kind of material should be used for the vice dashboard mould?

　　vice dashboard mould is generally divided into three categories: hard plastic vice dashboard mould, blister vice dashboard mould, and semi-rigid foam soft vice dashboard mould. Hard plastic vice dashboard mould is generally made by an injection molding process and is widely used because of its simple process and low investment, especially for medium and low-end vehicles. Plastic Injection mould is to adsorb and bond outside the injection moulding or pressing frame or compound the skin during injection moulding to make the appearance of leather feel. The semi-rigid foam soft vice dashboard mould is filled with polyurethane foam between the skin and the skeleton, which not only improves the touch but also increases the ability to absorb energy.

　　New materials help new development

　　vice dashboard mould is a component that integrates safety, functionality, comfort, and decoration. In terms of material selection, it needs to have sufficient rigidity, impact resistance, high and low-temperature resistance, aging and wear resistance, etc. Usually, hard vice dashboard mould is a one-time injection molding of PP, PC, ABS, ABS/PC, and other materials, and is often used in light and small trucks, large trucks, and passenger cars. The soft vice dashboard mould is composed of skin, skeleton, buffer layer, and so on. Generally, PVC PVC/ABS or PVC skin + ABS or PP skeleton + foam buffer layer are used.

　　However, with the continuous development of material technology, new materials such as TPU, TPO, and GTM composite materials are gradually applied to vice dashboard mould.

　　TPO material: Because TPO and PP have good compatibility and are easy to recycle, use TPO to replace traditional PVC as the skin material, and the vice dashboard mould formed by TPO skin + modified PP skeleton + PP foam material has gradually become a hot spot. The material can be recycled and reused.

　　TPU material: Compared with PVC, TPU has better anti-ultraviolet and long-term thermal aging properties. Generally, the slush molding process is used to form the TPU slush skin. The material is less dense and free of harmful substances, making it more environmentally friendly. But TPU is expensive, so the cost of TPU slush skin is very high, which is also the main reason to limit its application and development.

　　Bayer Company and Textron Automobile Company jointly developed the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) vice dashboard mould surface layer Texin DPT-3014 to replace PVC and used in Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler 300M, and other models.

　　GTM composite material: GMT material belongs to the thermoplastic composite material, with thermoplastic resin as matrix, chopped glass fiber mat or continuous glass fiber mat as reinforcement material, Z outer layer is matrix resin, and the middle layer is alternately laying resin layer and reinforcement layer The formed sandwich structure. The product has good impact resistance, fatigue resistance and anti-corrosion performance, a short production cycle, high productivity, large design freedom, easy to realize one-time molding of complex parts; damaged products are easy to repair.

　　Leather: As the epidermis material of the vice dashboard mould, leather has green performance advantages, but its use cost is generally higher. At present, it is mainly used in high-grade vice dashboard mould. It is luxurious and beautiful in shape, comfortable to the hand, safe and environmentally friendly, and has good compatibility with drivers and passengers. Four types of foam forming processes.

　　New technology leads to new fashion

　　Slush molding process: The slush molding process is mature and widely used. Its processing and molding process is simple, and it is the most widely used process at present. At present, slush molds can use more and more skin patterns, such as sewing thread (Stitch Line), and the main environmentally friendly new materials are thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) powder.

　　PU skin molding process: PU molding skin is an ideal substitute for PVC material. Its design is highly flexible and can produce vice dashboard moulds with corner curvature close to 0; the pattern structure is not limited; excellent physical and mechanical properties, excellent anti-aging performance; excellent odor, low emission characteristics, and atomization volume <1mg.

　　PUR spraying process: PU spraying is another widely used skin technology, which has also developed rapidly in recent years. The cost of PU spraying is higher than that of PVC slush but lower than that of TPO blister skin and TPU slush. Compared with PVC slush skin, PU spray skin is non-toxic, low in odor, low in a haze, and has better low-temperature performance. But it is difficult to recycle, and the cost of raw materials is also high.

　　The new development trend of vice dashboard mould

　　Tactile comfort: foam material is used as a buffer layer to improve softness and optimize comfort.

　　Diversified appearance: vice dashboard mould, as an important interior part, not only meets the mechanical performance requirements but also requires a beautiful and diverse appearance. Processes such as slush molding, negative mold, and inner mold embossing have gradually realized the diversification of product appearance.

　　Environmental protection of materials: vice dashboard mould is an important part that affects the air quality in the car as an interior part of the car. New environmentally friendly materials with low odor, low emission, and recyclability will be more and more popular.