SMC components may exhibit surface defects after the industrial coating process, even if their surface was initially defect-free. Causes include trapped air bubbles and areas in the surface layer that have not been fully thermally cured.

This white paper demonstrates how robot-controlled electron treatment can be used to prepare SMC molded parts for painting. It focuses on the chemical modification of the surface layer, relevant process parameters, and the use of compact electron emitters in automated systems.

It also describes how treating defect-free SMC surface layers can help reduce or prevent outgassing and the resulting surface defects during the coating process.

Here’s what you’ll learn

• Why surface defects can occur in SMC components after the coating process
• How electron treatment is used to modify the surface layer of SMC molded parts
• Which process parameters are relevant for chemical modification
• What requirements exist for system design and 3D-compatible electron emitters