While continuing the discussion of the versatility of polyurethane, we’d be remiss if we didn’t explain how the production of polyurethane products can allow for further customization and enhanced features. Even if you’re already familiar with polyurethane’s advantages (you can check out our last blog), you might be interested to learn more about how polyurethane products are manufactured. One method actually creates a type of protective coating, or outer skin, on the polyurethane product during the molding process.
In some cases, products can be created through hand mixing the material and then machining the final product. However, another method, known as Reaction Injection Molding (RIM), creates a range of polyurethanes via a chemical reaction inside the mold of the final product.
One such type of polyurethane that can be achieved through this process is the type with the protective coating: integral skinning foam, or I-Skin. When I-Skin is catalyzed through RIM, an additional, external layer is added during the molding process. This layer is a protective, flexible, and tear-resistant addition to the final product. I-Skin offers the additional benefits of color matching and it’s able to be imprinted with patterns by the tooling used. We often see applications with heavy traffic and use as ideal candidates for this foam. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions on which polyurethane might be right for your product!
urethanesp.wordpress.com 