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The Budd Company is conducting a major expansion of its northwest Ohio plant located in North Baltimore. The expansion has been designed to provide additional capacity to the plant and also to install equipment to produce new products. The plant is launching production of sheetmolded composite (SMC) components for
future model pickup trucks. At the same time, the plant is preparing for the introduction of a new process for manufacturing parts out of urethane called RRIM.
Reinforced reaction injection molding (RRIM) differs from SMC molding in a number of ways. Its raw materials are in a
liquid form. They are injected into a closed mold, where a chemical reaction occurs, and a part is molded. The total press cycle time is about two minutes.
The SMC process uses solid raw material that is cut to a specific pattern and placed in an open mold. The mold is closed and the material is compressed under tonnage to form the part.
Initially, the plant will use the RRIM technology to produce body panels and fenders. "Some customers prefer SMC, some prefer RRIM," stated Richard Stambaugh, a lead engineer in the quality and advanced projects area. "By incorporating RRIM into our capabilities, we are able to meet customer requirements no matter which process they prefer," summarized Stambaugh.
The North Baltimore plant...