CASE STUDY

MARKET: COMPOSITE TOOLING

PATTERN MAKING
Pattern makers are increasingly under the gun to turn jobs around quickly with a minimum of hand finishing. Urethane tooling boards allow
faster processing at a more reasonable cost than ever before.

APPLICATION
Composite patterns
The switch from wood to SB-0160 has conservatively
reduced our turn-around time by 25%. On some
patterns the reduction has been even greater.

MATERIAL REPLACED
Wood

This change has permitted us to keep pace with our

customers deadline requirements which have only
become tighter in recent years.

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Wood patterns almost always exhibit defects after machining which must
be filled in before sanding and buffing, tool wear is also an issue

- Ted Filley
Mold and Pattern Manager
Global Composites

Changes in atmospheric humidity can lead to expansion and contraction

of wood patterns.

SOLUTION
Rampf SB-0160 Urethane Tooling Board

TM

Put us to work for you!

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Composite manufacturers are switching from wood patterns to patterns based on urethane tooling
board. The result is faster machining and finishing and a reduction in total cost. An additional benefit
is improved dimensional stability of the finished tool. Global Composites, Elkhart, IN, has been one
of the leaders of this trend. Global Composites is a custom molded FRP component manufacturer
with product design capability and an in-house pattern shop. Globals Mold & Pattern Manager, Ted
Filley, has overseen the introduction of urethane tooling board for large patterns at Global.
For many years Global made composite patterns from pine or jelutong, like most of the industry.
However, wood poses numerous challenges to the pattern maker. Tool wear is an issue. Also, wood
patterns almost always exhibit defects after machining which must be filled in before sanding and
buffing. Wood requires a significant amount of hand finishing work. This adds cost and extends tool
turn-around time, which was a real problem in light of our customers tight deadlines. explains Filley.
Throughout the industry, tooling turn-around time has become a hot issue in recent years due to the
general acceleration of new product development cycles.
When the pattern is put into service, wood causes additional problems. Changes in ambient
atmospheric humidity cause changes in the moisture content of wood patterns, leading to expansion
and contraction. Thus, a pattern which is within tolerance immediately after machining can drift out
of tolerance while in service. Changing ambient humidity levels can also raise the grain of the wood.
Another problem is related to the effect of the exotherm. Composite resins frequently exhibit
significant exotherms, sometimes generating temperatures of up to 150F. This can be a problem for
a smooth wood pattern because the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) varies with the density of
the wood. This can cause joints to telegraph onto the surface of the mold. For years these problems
have been tolerated because wood is one of the least expensive tool materials on a cost-per-boardfoot basis. Material cost is an important consideration for composite patterns because they tend to
be large 100 square feet or more.
Although synthetic urethane tooling board was commercially introduced more than 20 years ago, its
usage in composite tooling has been limited due to material cost. Its processing and performance,
however, are quite impressive. This material is designed to be machined. Its behavior during CNC
machining is predictable and uniform. Depending on density, it generally machines faster and
produces less tool wear than wood. Although some hand finishing is generally required, it is less than
with wood due to the absence of grain, knots and other defects. This permits patterns to be completed
faster with less labor. There are additional benefits after the pattern has been finished. Urethane
tooling is virtually insensitive to changes in ambient atmospheric humidity. Climate-controlled storage
is not necessary. Furthermore, composite exotherms are generally not a problem since the CTE is
uniform throughout the material and many grades exhibit very impressive heat resistance.
Filley first became familiar with urethane tooling boards as a result of his work with small vacuumform patterns. He came to appreciate the fast machining and simple finishing of the synthetic boards.
The urethane tooling board was more expensive than wood but this did not pose a problem for
relatively small thermoforming patterns. But how could the cost of this material be justified for large
patterns? Encouraged by what he had learned from his work with vacuum-form patterns, Filley
embarked upon a program of experimentation with all available synthetic tooling board grades. He
studied the effects of density, cell structure and heat resistance on pattern performance and cost.
Working with Curbell Plastics, he was able to identify a grade produced by Rampf Group which
provided the performance characteristics he required at a cost per board-foot which was only slightly
higher than that of pine. The grade chosen, SB-0160, exhibits a density of ten pounds per cubic
foot. SB-0160 is formulated and processed to exhibit a very fine cell structure and an excellent
machined surface texture. When machine time, cutting tool wear and finishing labor are all taken into
account, Filley found the total cost of a pattern based on synthetic urethane tooling board is
actually lower than that of a pattern based on pine or jelutong. Improved pattern dimensional
stability and faster turn-around time for customers are bonuses. The switch from wood to SB-0160
has conservatively reduced our turn-around time by 25%. On some patterns the reduction has been
even greater. says Filley. An additional, unexpected benefit is reduced pattern weight which makes
moving the pattern around the users facility much easier. As a result of the cost savings and the
reduction in turn-around time, Filley has completely replaced wood with SB-0160. This change has
permitted us to keep pace with our customers deadline requirements which have only become tighter
in recent years. Filley concludes.

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2009 Curbell Plastics, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are property of their respective manufacturers. All statements, technical information and recommendations contained in this publication are presented in good
faith, based upon tests believed to be reliable and practical field experience. The reader is cautioned, however, that Curbell Plastics, Inc. cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information, and it is the
customers responsibility to determine the suitability of specific products in any given application.
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