Japan's Uchihama Kasei and Nippon Paint Launch In-Mold Coating with 60% CO2 Reduction

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Japanese molding company Uchihama Kasei and Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings (NPAC) have jointly developed Japan's first in-mold coating technology for large thermoplastic automotive exterior components. This process injects the coating during injection molding, forming a protective film directly on the component surface, eliminating the need for paint booths and drying ovens required in conventional spraying. While conventional sprayed components require drying at high temperatures for about one hour, the new process eliminates this step entirely.

This technology has been commercially applied to the front pillar components of a Lexus model. In terms of environmental and quality performance, the new process reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 60% and achieves zero volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. The solvent-free coating developed by NPAC achieves a VOC reduction of over 99%, while delivering coating quality comparable to conventional painting methods.

The in-mold coating process achieves a coating utilization rate of 100%, compared to approximately 70% for spray painting; the curing time for the new process is less than one minute. The coating film formed through mold transfer offers superior surface smoothness compared to sprayed finishes, with high pattern reproduction accuracy, thereby reducing appearance defects and improving productivity.

In terms of design, this technology enables geometric patterns and embossed finishes that are difficult to achieve with spraying, and nano-scale pattern transfer can produce iridescent effects through structural color. To match the in-mold coating process, the resin and catalyst properties in the coating have been optimized, allowing high-precision design expression and efficient manufacturing to be achieved simultaneously.