Re: Those needing door panels.

Posted by HH56 On 2021/9/3 18:36:15

I doubt SMS would have a single die that would do the entire panel at once such as Packard suppliers probably had because of the expense and large number of dies needed for the different models and mfgs.

A lot of vinyls are done with heat generated by ultrasonic waves but for this purpose there is a machine with interchangeable heated rollers which is a refined version of the industrial welders used in piecing large sheets of PVC coated materials such as used in tents or sails together. I saw one used on one of the how they do it TV shows where they were seaming sheets of vinyl together to make air mattresses and waterbeds.

Something like that is probably what is used along with a modern version of the old time special glue layered paper padding. When the heated rollers are pinched together it compresses and melts the glue in the layers of padding and at the same time glues the padding to the fabric or vinyl for the line of embossing but leaves the padding at full thickness everywhere else. I believe the chrome ribbon stuff is applied in a similar manner with a heat activated glue fastening it to the fabric.

Expect you could change the roller to get the correct width or diameter for the pattern. I am sure operating something like that and consistently getting a straight line would take skill and training so maybe what SMS means when it says it will also use the downtime to hire and train more operators.