Chapter 11

Plastics and Composite

Repairs
 Objectives
• List typical plastics and composite applications
in vehicle construction
• Identify automotive plastics through the use of
international symbols (ISO codes) and by
making a trial-and-error weld
• Describe the basic differences between welding
metal and welding plastic
 Objectives
• Outline the basics of hot-air and airless welding
• Repair interior and unreinforced hard plastics
• Perform two-part adhesive repairs
• Repair RRIM and other reinforced plastics
 Introduction
• Composites and plastics refer to materials
synthetically compounded from crude oil, coal,
natural gas etc.
• Do not occur in nature and are manufactured
• More and more plastic is used in automobile
manufacturing
• Fuel saving and weight reduction programs by
auto makers make plastic parts more common
 Types of Auto Plastics
• Thermoplastics can be repeatedly softened and
reshaped by heating with no change in their
chemical makeup
– Can be welded with a plastic welder
• Thermosetting plastics undergo chemical
change by heating, a catalyst, or ultraviolet light
– Cannot be welded, but can be repaired with
flexible parts repair materials
• Compound plastics are blends of plastics
 Plastics Safety
• Wear rubber gloves when working with fiberglass
resin or hardener
• Use protective skin cream on exposed body
areas
• Safety glasses are a necessity
• Work in a well-ventilated area
• Wear a respirator to avoid inhaling sanding dust
and resin vapors
• PVC-type plastics produce a poison gas when
burned – keep them away from heat and flames
 Plastic Identification
• Can identify unknown plastics with ISO codes
– Molded into plastic parts
• If part is not identified by a symbol, body repair
manual will give the information
• To do a floating test, cut a small piece of plastic
off part and drop it into a container of water
– Thermoplastics float, thermoset plastics sink
• Make a trial-and-error weld on a hidden area,
possibly using a piece of damaged part as the
welding rod
 Plastic Part Removal

• Fasteners such as screws, clips and adhesives

can be used to secure plastic parts
• If plastic part has only minor damage it can often
be repaired by welding
• More commonly, plastic parts are repaired using
a two-part plastic repair adhesive
• Repairing the part saves time
 Principles of Plastic Welding
• Plastic welding uses heat and sometimes a
plastic filler rod to join or repair plastic parts
• Outer surface of welding rod becomes molten
while inner core remains semisolid
• Force rod into joint to create a good bond
• Apply pressure to welding rod with one hand
while applying heat with tool
• Use a constant fanning motion with hot air from
welding torch
 Hot-Air Plastic Welding

• Hot-air plastic welding uses a tool with an

electric heating element to produce hot air
• Most hot-air welders use a tip working pressure
of around 3 psi
• Hot-air torch is used with welding rod, which
must be made of same material as part
• It may be acceptable to weld thin plastics if they
are supported from underneath while welding
Figure 11-8. When welding plastic, you must use the proper
combination of heat and pressure. Hand pressure is needed to
force the plastic rod down into the weld joint. Fan the welder over
the joint to heat the rod and base material properly.
Figure 11-9. Note the construction of a high-speed plastic welding tip.
 Airless Plastic Welding

• Airless plastic welding uses an electric heating

element to melt a smaller diameter rod with no
external air supply
• Airless welding with a smaller rod helps
eliminate panel warpage and excess rod buildup
• Be sure rod is same material as damaged plastic
• Good practice to run a small piece through
welder to clean out tip before beginning
 Plastic Welding Methods
• Plastic welding rods are often color coded to
indicate their material, but coding is not standard
• Too much heat will char, melt or distort plastic;
too little will not provide penetration
• Too much pressure distorts weld
• Angle between rod and base material must be
correct
• If torch movement is too fast it will not permit a
good weld; if too slow it will char plastic
 Plastic Tack Welding

• On long tears where backup is difficult, small

tack welds can be made to hold the two sides in
place before doing the permanent weld
• For larger areas, a patch an be made from a
piece of plastic and tacked in place
 Welding A Plastic V-Groove
• Prepare rod by cutting end at a 60° angle, hold
nozzle about ¼ to ½ inch above, parallel to base
• Hold rod at a right angle to the work, position cut
end of the rod at beginning of weld
• Direct hot air from tip alternately at rod and base
material
• Keep rod lined up and press it into seam
• When it has cooled and does not pull loose, cut
rod with a sharp knife or scissors
 Plastic Speed Welding
• Plastic speed welding uses a specially designed
tip to produce a more uniform weld
• Rod is preheated as it passes through a tube in
speed tip
• Base material is preheated by a stream of hot air
passing through a vent in tip
• Pointed shoe on end of tip applies pressure to
rod, and smoothes it out
• Average welding speed is about 40" per minute
 Controlling Speed Welding Rate
• Angle between torch and base material
determines speed welding rate
• Hold torch at 90° angle when starting and a 45°
angle after
• If welding rate is too fast, bring torch back to a
90° angle
• Speed welding must be kept at constant rate
• Clean shoe on speed tip with a wire brush to
remove any residue
 Airless Melt-Flow Plastic Welding

• Place flat shoe part of tip in V-groove

• Hold in place until rod begins to melt and flow
out around shoe
• Small amount of force is needed to feed rod
through preheat tube
• Move shoe slowly, crisscrossing groove
• Work melted plastic into base material
• Complete a weld length of about 1" at a time
 Plastic Stitch-Tamp Welding

• Plastic stitch-tamp welding uses pointed end of

welding tip to help bond plastic rod and base
• Used on hard plastics like ABS and nylon
• After completing weld using the melt-flow
procedure, remove rod
• Turn shoe over and slowly move pointed end of
tip into weld area to bond rod and base material
• Smooth weld with flat part of shoe
 Single-Sided Plastic Welds

• Single-sided welds are used when part cannot

be removed from vehicle
• Align break using aluminum body tape
• V-groove damaged area 75% through base
material, beveling torn edges
• Place shoe over V-groove; when it is filled,
stitch-tamp rod and base together
• Resmooth weld area using flat shoe; cool with a
damp sponge
 Two-Sided Plastic Welds

• Two-sided plastic weld is strongest weld

• Align front of break with aluminum body tape, V-
groove 50% of the way through back
• Weld back side of panel; when finished smooth
the weld with shoe
• Quick-cool weld with a damp sponge
• V-groove front deep enough to penetrate first
groove, then weld the seam, filling groove
 Repairing Vinyl Dents

• Vinyl is a soft, flexible, thin plastic often applied

over a foam filler
• Vinyl parts are dash pads, armrests, inner door
trim, seat covers, etc.
• Dash pads or padded instrument panels are
expensive and time consuming to replace,
therefore are good candidates for repair
• Vinyl dents can often be repaired by applying
heat
Figure 11-11. Study the construction of a typical dash pad. Note the steel
reinforcing bar behind the dash panel.
 Heat Reshaping Plastic Parts
• Deformed plastic parts can often be straightened
with heat
• Wash with soap and water, clean with plastic
cleaner, then dampen with a sponge
• Apply heat directly to distorted area until
opposite side becomes uncomfortable to touch
• Use a paint paddle, squeegee or wood block to
reshape the piece
• Quick-cool area by applying cold water with a
sponge
 Plastic Bumper Tab Replacement

• When a bumper cover has been torn away from

its mounting screws the mounting tabs are often
broken or torn away
• Mounting tabs must be repaired with a two-sided
weld to provide enough strength
• If material is thermoplastic, either the hot-air or
airless method may be used
• For thermosetting plastic, use airless welding
• If welded properly, repaired piece is as strong as
original undamaged part
 Plastic Adhesive Repair Systems

• Adhesive repair is often preferable to plastic

welding, producing a stronger repair
• Cyanoacrylates (CAs) are one-part fast curing
adhesives used for rigid and flexible plastics
– CAs do not work equally well on all plastics
• Two-part adhesive systems consist of a base
resin and a hardener and are an acceptable
alternative to welding for many plastic repairs
• Identify type of plastic using a flexibility test
 Use the Correct Adhesive!

• Mixing product lines is not acceptable

• Most product lines have two or more adhesives
designed for different types of plastic
• Product line usually includes an adhesion
promoter, a filler and a coating agent
• Some product lines are formulated for a specific
base material
• Product line might use a single flexible filler for
all plastics, or different fillers for different plastics
 Two-Part Plastic Adhesive Repairs

• Clean part with soap and water and plastic

cleaner; it should be at room temperature
• Mix the two parts of adhesive thoroughly
• Apply material within time guidelines, using heat
if indicated by manufacturer
• Follow cure time guidelines
• Support part adequately during cure time to
ensure damaged area does not move
(C) Cut and fit the fiberglass cloth over the tear in the bumper.
Figure 11-14. Note the methods to prepare a large tear in a plastic
bumper cover for repair.
 Reinforced Plastic Repairs
• Reinforced plastic parts, including reinforced
reaction injection molded (RRIM) polyurethane,
are used many unibody vehicles
• Combinations of damage can occur on a single
vehicle
• Four types of repairs:
– Single-sided, two-sided, panel sectioning, full
panel replacement
• Carefully examine vehicle to select repair
method
Figure 11-17. Study the reinforced plastic repair chart. It gives recommended
repairs and materials.
 Reinforced Plastic Adhesives
• Two-part adhesives have a base material and a
hardener that are mixed to cure adhesive
• Work life or open time is the time when adhesive
can be disturbed and still bond
• Cure time of some adhesives can be shortened
with application of heat
• Temperature and humidity affect work life and
cure time
• If you move adhesive as it starts to harden, it will
be less durable
 Reinforced Plastic Fillers
and Glass Cloth
• Cosmetic filler is typically a two-part epoxy or
polyester used to cover up minor imperfections
• Structural filler is used to fill larger gaps in panel
structure and add rigidity to part
• As a rule of thumb, heat material to a surface
temperature higher than any temperature it will
be subject to when on road
• Choose unidirectional or woven glass cloth or
nylon screening and allow adhesive to fully
saturate weave
 Reinforced Plastic,
Single-Sided Repairs
• If break is clean and all reinforcing fibers are in
place, a single-sided repair should be adequate
• Bevel deep to penetrate fibers in panel
• Clean with soap and water, and grease remover
• Remove paint and scuff area
• Bevel damage and apply filler and cure as
recommended
 Two-Sided Repairs
of Reinforced Plastic
• Two-sided repair is normally needed on damage
that passes all the way through
• Backing strip or backing patch is bonded to rear
of repair area to restore strength
• Pull rod can be used to hold a patch in place
• Sheet metal can be attached to back side of
panel with sheet metal screws
• Can apply fiberglass patch to outer side only
 Repairing RRIM
• Reinforced reaction injection molded (RRIM)
polyurethane is a two-part composite plastic
– Part A is the isocyanate
– Part B has reinforced fibers, resins and a catalyst
• RRIM products are stiff yet flexible and can
absorb minor impacts without damage
• Gouges and punctures can be repaired using
structural adhesives
• If damage extends through panel, a backing
patch is required
 Spraying Vinyl Paints

• Vinyl repair paints are usually ready for spraying

as packaged
• When applying vinyl paints by siphon feed guns,
normal air pressure is between 40 – 50 psi
• There is no retardant for vinyl paints; if blushing
occurs allow the initial coat to set, and reapply
• Vinyl and soft ABS plastics should be cleaned,
let to dry, and then treated with vinyl prep
• Wipe off vinyl prep right after it is applied
 Summary
• Plastics and composites refer to a wide range of
materials synthetically compounded from crude
oil, coal, natural gas, etc.
• Bumpers, fender extensions, fascias, fender
aprons, grille openings, stone shields,
instrument panels, trim panels, fuel lines, and
engine parts can be constructed of these
materials
• Two general types of plastics are used in
automotive construction: thermoplastics and
thermosetting plastics
 Summary (continued)

• Thermoplastics can be repeatedly softened and

reshaped by heating with no chemical change
• Thermosetting plastics undergo a chemical
change and are hardened into a permanent
shape that CANNOT be altered by reapplying
heat or catalysts
 Summary (continued)

• Can identify a plastic by international symbols,

or ISO codes, which are molded into plastic
parts
– If there is no ISO code, refer to the body repair
manual for information
• Plastic welding uses heat and sometimes a
plastic filler rod to join or repair plastic parts
– Types of plastic welding include hot air and
airless