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Interior design engineers can now utilize the latest production technology to meet the increasing demands for automotive interior trim. Colo-fast® SPR is a polyurethane spray technology which can provide flowing interior designs with soft touch, low gloss, consistent color and ten year durability; all without post painting. Besides providing these design features, this spray urethane system is production proven for high volume automotive requirements. Production plants using this technology are running at rates of more than 650 car sets per day. One car set includes an upper instrument panel, a lower instrument panel, a center console, a console cover, an airbag cover and a glove box door. Future production parts will include full door panels in two tone color schemes. This paper presents durability data for spray urethane. In doing so, it confirms the capability of this system to provide the long term durability and feel desired by automotive engineers.

Light stable polyurethane elastomers, based on aliphatic diisocyanates, have been successfully used in the production of encapsulated automotive glass since 1987. The ultraviolet and weather resistance inherent in these polyurethane polymers have made them the material of choice for many modular windows, both in Europe and the United States. Since the selection of these materials is based largely on their superior field performance, this paper will review a variety of long term durability test data. This data will be of interest to two types of people: 1) engineers designing products which must meet new long term trim warranties 2 manufacturers wishing to eliminate the processing problems and environmental concerns of paint from their production operations.

The advantages of modular windows with the gasket molded directly onto the glass are now well established. These windows offer aerodynamic design, variable gasket cross-section, molded-in attachments and ease of installation. This greatly increases styling and design flexibility compared to windows with conventional gaskets. There are several choices of molded gasket material which include: PVC, post-painted polyurethane, in-mold coated Polyurethane and light stable polyurethane. Polyurethane processed by reaction injection molding (RIM) is typically selected for larger windows. Polyurethanes can be formulated to give a wide range of flexural modulus values and are readily molded into the long narrow cross-sections characteristic of window gaskets. The use of PVC is limited by the high temperatures, high injection pressures and high clamping forces needed for injection molding of thermoplastic materials.