Ford Motor Company
Process for molding thin-walled skins

Abstract:

A method of forming a thin-walled skin includes coating at least one side of a mold cavity of a molding tool, evacuating air from the mold cavity, and filling the mold cavity with a molten polymeric resin. Among other optional variations of the disclosed method, an inert gas is injected into the molten polymeric resin simultaneously with the step of filling the mold cavity with a molten polymeric resin. As a result, high quality, large, thin-walled skins are produced by the teachings of the present disclosure.