Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat (44) is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body member or panel (118). In one embodiment, the paint coat (44) includes an exterior clear coat (45) above a color coat (46). During processing, the clear coat (45) and color coat (46) are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet 42) and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat (45) from the casting sheet (42). The paint coat (44) is then transferred from the casting sheet (42) to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet (72) by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate (70) is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body member or panel. The preformed laminate (116) is then bonded to an underlying plastic substrate material, by injection-cladding techniques, for example, to form the finished article.

Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat (44) is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body member or panel (118). In one embodiment, the paint coat (44) includes an exterior clear coat (45) above a color coat (46). During processing, the clear coat (45) and color coat (46) are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet (42) and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat (45) from the casting sheet (42). The paint coat (44) is then transferred from the casting sheet (42) to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet (72) by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate (70) is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body member or panel. The preformed laminate (116) is then bonded to an underlying plastic substrate material, by injection-cladding techniques, for example, to form the finished article.

Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat (44) is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body member or panel (118). In one embodiment, the paint coat (44) includes an exterior clear coat (45) above a color coat (46). During processing, the clear coat (45) and color coat (46) are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet (42) and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat (45) from the casting sheet (42). The paint coat (44) is then transferred from the casting sheet (42) to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet (72) by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate (70) is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body member or panel. The preformed laminate (116) is then bonded to an underlying plastic substrate material, by injection-clading techniques, for example, to form the finished article.

Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body panel. In one embodiment, the paint coat includes an exterior clear coat above a color coat. The clear coat and color coat are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat from the casting sheet. The paint coat is then transferred from the casting sheet to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body panel. The preformed laminate is then bonded to a plastic substrate material by injection-cladding techniques to form the finished article. The paint coat has sufficient elongation to retain exterior automotive appearance and durability properties during thermoforming without deglossing.

Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body member or panel. In one embodiment, the paint coat includes an exterior clear coat above a color coat. During processing, the clear coat and color coat are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat from the casting sheet. The paint coat is then transferred from the casting sheet to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body member or panel. The preformed laminate is then bonded to an underlying plastic substrate material, by injection-cladding techniques, for example, to form the finished article. The paint coat has sufficient elongation to retain exterior automotive appearance and durability properties during thermoforming without deglossing.

Abstract: A shaped exterior automotive body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a supporting substrate sheet and a decorative transfer film bonded to one side of said substrate sheet and conforming to said contoured surface, said decorative transfer film having a clear coat/color coat exterior automotive paint film comprising a flexible outer clear coat layer having a glossy, smooth outer surface, the clear coat layer formed of an optically clear, thermoplastic and thermoformable weatherable polymeric material, and a pigmented color coat of automotive quality paint adhered to an inner surface of said outer clear coat layer, the color coat formed of a thermoplastic and thermoformable polymeric material with pigments distributed therein to provide a layer of color visible to the outer surface of the automotive body part; said supporting substrate sheet comprising a continuous and self-supporting thermoformable polymeric material having contoured surface regions formed by having thermoformed the c

Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body panel. In one embodiment, the paint coat includes an exterior clear coat above a color coat. The clear coat and color coat are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat from the casting sheet. The paint coat is then transferred from the casting sheet to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body panel. The preformed laminate is then bonded to a plastic substrate material by injection-cladding techniques to form the finished article. The paint coat has sufficient elongation to retain exterior automotive appearance and durability properties during thermoforming without deglossing.

Abstract: An automotive quality paint coat is laminated to the exterior surface of a molded plastic car body member or panel. In one embodiment, the paint coat includes an exterior clear coat above a color coat. During processing, the clear coat and color coat are each coated on a temporary flexible casting sheet and dried. A high gloss surface is transferred to the clear coat from the casting sheet. The paint coat is then transferred from the casting sheet to a thin, semi-flexible thermoformable plastic backing sheet by dry paint transfer-laminating techniques. The resulting laminate is thermoformed into a complex three-dimensional shape of the car body member or panel. The preformed laminate is then bonded to an underlying plastic substrate material, by injection-cladding techniques, for example, to form the finished article. The paint coat has sufficient elongation to retain exterior automotive appearance and durability properties during thermoforming without deglossing.

Abstract: A process for making plastic siding panels, such as outdoor weatherable vinyl panels with an embossed wood grain pattern, comprises extruding a vinyl sheet, and overlaying on the extruded sheet a flexible carrier sheet having coated thereon (a) matte release layer bonded to the carrier sheet, and (b) decorative coating on the matte release layer facing toward the extruded plastic sheet. An embossing roll applies pressure at elevated temperatures to transfer the decorative coating from the matte release layer and bond it to the extruded sheet, while the embossing roll embosses a three-dimensional impression pattern in the laminate transferred to the extruded sheet. The carrier sheet and its matte release layer are then released from the laminate transferred to the vinyl sheet. The matte release layer transfers a low 75.degree. gloss level, preferably in the range of 8 to 12 gloss units, while enabling free release of the carrier from the embossed low gloss surface at elevated temperatures.