Kaiping Classic Case | Automotive Sun Visor Manufacturer Adopts New Water-Based Release Agent

Automotive sun visors are essential for shielding the driver or front-seat passengers from sunlight in front and from the side. PU foaming is one of the mainstream manufacturing processes for this component.

PU sun visors are made of semi-rigid polyurethane foam, which provides a certain degree of impact cushioning. The production adopts the PU-RIM injection molding foaming process, where polyurethane components are thoroughly mixed and injected into the mold, curing around the steel wire frame to form the required foam shape. The foam bonds with the steel wire, providing both structural strength and improved tactile feel. The molds are typically placed on multi-station turntable production lines for continuous cycle production.

This process requires spraying a suitable release agent inside the mold to facilitate part demolding. Traditional release agents are usually solvent-based wax types, which offer good release performance and low cost, but tend to cause excessive VOC and odor levels in the sun visors. This has led manufacturers to request water-based alternatives from release agent suppliers.

What We Achieved

Kaiping's R&D team developed a new water-based release agent specifically for automotive sun visor manufacturers. Compared to conventional solvent-based products, the new solution provides equally dry release surfaces and excellent release performance, while effectively resolving VOC and odor issues.

By adopting a fully water-based carrier formula with no organic solvents, the new product reduces VOC emissions by over 90% and achieves an odor rating above level 6. This has significantly improved product qualification rates and overall production efficiency.

How We Made It Happen

Although sun visors are small parts, they are located close to passengers' faces. Optimizing their VOC and odor levels contributes to better cabin air quality and passenger experience, representing a significant business opportunity.

Before Kaiping's new product was introduced, customers commonly reported that other water-based release agents on the market either left oily surfaces, caused rapid mold buildup, or delivered unsatisfactory release performance. One customer testing competitive products found that they could not even achieve acceptable release performance before verifying whether VOC and odor targets were met—making it impossible to reach desired production efficiency and yield.

Kaiping's team was committed to developing a product that does not solve just one problem in isolation, but addresses all issues systematically in a single solution.

Our Solution

Through close collaboration with the customer, Kaiping gained a thorough understanding of their requirements and production processes. Our technical experts made repeated efforts to create a new solution that achieved our shared goals: easy demolding, minimal mold buildup, dry and clean release surfaces, and—most critically—significant improvements in production line working conditions as well as VOC and odor performance of the finished parts.

Kaiping delivers better reliability, higher production efficiency, and more consistent product performance. By developing a new formulation, we were able to systematically improve every aspect of the process.