What material is MIC?

[DEADBIRDS]

Has Ford put out any info about the material of the MIC hardtop? Is it likely going to be the same as Jeep? I'm guessing there's no info, just like most things with this rollout.

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[AcesandEights]

I thought it was mold?

 

[ZackDanger]

Textured thermoplastic sheet.... let me see if I can find more specifics.

 

[DEADBIRDS]

Textured thermoplastic sheet.... let me see if I can find more specifics.

Thanks!

 

[ZackDanger]

Thanks!

Textured thermoplastic sheet is all I can dredge up. No specifics on the actual compounds .

In contrast the Mod top is skinned in Sheet Molded Compound (SMC)... both tops are allegedly the same base, just different in what the outer layer is.

This info is not official from Ford, but rather has been shared by employees of Ford/Webasto who have personally worked on the tops. So it’s either super accurate or super not.

The other thing to note was this information was shared a while ago, and we know that the MIC top in particular has continued to evolve, specifically in color and texture.

I would assume that the fundamental materials are remaining the same.

 

[MacHudson]

Has Ford put out any info about the material of the MIC hardtop? Is it likely going to be the same as Jeep? I'm guessing there's no info, just like most things with this rollout.

I don’t know about the gray one, but the black MIC top is made from Unobtanium.

 

[DEADBIRDS]

Textured thermoplastic sheet is all I can dredge up. No specifics on the actual compounds .

In contrast the Mod top is skinned in Sheet Molded Compound (SMC)... both tops are allegedly the same base, just different in what the outer layer is.

This info is not official from Ford, but rather has been shared by employees of Ford/Webasto who have personally worked on the tops. So it’s either super accurate or super not.

The other thing to note was this information was shared a while ago, and we know that the MIC top in particular has continued to evolve, specifically in color and texture.

I would assume that the fundamental materials are remaining the same.

Thanks again. Just wondering if Line-X or similar would adhere to it without issues.

 

[ZackDanger]

Thanks again. Just wondering if Line-X or similar would adhere to it without issues.

Great question.
There’s a few threads on that exact topic already in which people argue both sides and fail to come to a consensus.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/search/1277743/?q=Line-x&c[title_only]=1&o=date

 

[DEADBIRDS]

Great question.
There’s a few threads on that exact topic already in which people argue both sides and fail to come to a consensus.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/search/1277743/?q=Line-x&c[title_only]=1&o=date

I know... I was hoping someone knew something different by now. Getting the MIC will save me $1900, but the gray looks like crap on most colors.

 

[ZackDanger]

I know... I was hoping someone knew something different by now. Getting the MIC will save me $1900, but the gray looks like crap on most colors.

The closer we get to production, the more black the MIC tops have been getting.

 

[BrentC]

I don’t know about the gray one, but the black MIC top is made from Unobtanium.

I thought it was Impossibilium...

 

[Efthreeoh]

Textured thermoplastic sheet is all I can dredge up. No specifics on the actual compounds .

In contrast the Mod top is skinned in Sheet Molded Compound (SMC)... both tops are allegedly the same base, just different in what the outer layer is.

This info is not official from Ford, but rather has been shared by employees of Ford/Webasto who have personally worked on the tops. So it’s either super accurate or super not.

The other thing to note was this information was shared a while ago, and we know that the MIC top in particular has continued to evolve, specifically in color and texture.

I would assume that the fundamental materials are remaining the same.

Not flaming... I doubt the outer layer of the MIC top is a thermoplastic. There are basically two types of plastics, thermoforming and thermosetting. Familiar thermoforming plastics are items like washer fluid jugs. Familiar thermosetting plastics are items like surfboards. Thermosetting plastics cannot be remolded once formed. Thermoplastics are thermomolded plastics that can be reheated and remolded.

Sheet Molded Compound (SMC) is a thermosetting plastic that comes in an uncured sheet, which is formed to the desired shape, then heat cured to cause a chemical reaction in the plastic to retain the molded shape. SMC was first used in mass-production automobiles with the Pontiac Fiero. SMC is a relatively new production plastics forming technique.

I would think Ford would not choose a thermoplastic (i.e. thermoforming plastic) for the roof material, especially the outer panel because it would be susceptible to softening in hot/sunny climates. While there are numerous thermoplastics that once molded, have very high heat tolerances, the cost for the raw plastic material and the production molding costs increase relative to heat tolerance. SMC was developed for automotive panel construction because it was a low-cost solution due to its reproducibility for production of high quality parts.

So I'd bet both roof versions are SMC.

 

[ZackDanger]

Not flaming... I doubt the outer layer of the MIC top is a thermoplastic. There are basically two types of plastics, thermoforming and thermosetting. Familiar thermoforming plastics are items like washer fluid jugs. Familiar thermosetting plastics are items like surfboards. Thermosetting plastics cannot be remolded once formed. Thermoplastics are thermomolded plastics that can be reheated and remolded.

Sheet Molded Compound (SMC) is a thermosetting plastic that comes in an uncured sheet, which is formed to the desired shape, then heat cured to cause a chemical reaction in the plastic to retain the molded shape. SMC was first used in mass-production automobiles with the Pontiac Fiero. SMC is a relatively new production plastics forming technique.

I would think Ford would not choose a thermoplastic (i.e. thermoforming plastic) for the roof material, especially the outer panel because it would be susceptible to softening in hot/sunny climates. While there are numerous thermoplastics that once molded, have very high heat tolerances, the cost for the raw plastic material and the production molding costs increase relative to heat tolerance. SMC was developed for automotive panel construction because it was a low-cost solution due to its reproducibility for production of high quality parts.

So I'd bet both roof versions are SMC.

Word!

Thank you for that.

I am not a materials expert and have just been repeating what the forum members who allegedly had been building the tops were saying.... certainly room for them to be incorrect or misrepresenting in the interest of simplicity.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[noahr]

Has Ford put out any info about the material of the MIC hardtop? Is it likely going to be the same as Jeep? I'm guessing there's no info, just like most things with this rollout.

Textured thermoplastic as stated elsewhere but in the videos of the top from the inside it looks to have an almost fiberglass inside or shell which would make sense for insulation

 

[Efthreeoh]

Word!

Thank you for that.

I am not a materials expert and have just been repeating what the forum members who allegedly had been building the tops were saying.... certainly room for them to be incorrect or misrepresenting in the interest of simplicity.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Just wanted to help members understand better what the-roof-made-from-plastic really means and clarify the terms. I think you've been more than helpful with relaying the differences between the "MIC" top and the "Modular Top", so thank you too. The info you posted a few weeks ago helped me better understand the differences.

While the 2-door Modular Top has more sections with removable rear side windows than the MIC, both are still "modular". I thought I'd want removable glass, but your info helped me decide the MIC is good enough. I expect I'll run my Bronco with the top removed and buy a fitted cabin cover for it from the aftermarket. That's what I did with my YJ. And I'd expect to run a partial soft top in the summer.

Your info also helped me understand why the tailgate has that big ass chamber on the left side. I figure since the MIC rear windows are fixed and the rear glass is fixed when the tailgate is closed, when the front door windows are open, the pressure in the cabin has to release through the tailgate. The chamber must be sized and shaped to allow for pressure release at minimal acoustic disturbance.

I have to say the Bronco buying experience is quite fun, because we all must try to figure out such things as cabin pressure release based on limited information... Lol.

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