MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY FOR

FIBRE-REINFORCED POLYMERIC
COMPOSITES (FRPC)

University of
Alberta
 FRP MANUFACTURING

• General Manufacturing Objectives:

- to form required shape and size
- to properly ensure that the reinforcement phase is
completely encapsulated by the resin phase
- to eliminate voids and entrapped air
- to ensure the proper fiber direction and fiber-resin
proportion
- to produce homogeneous distribution of
reinforcement phase (uniformity)
University of
Alberta
 FRP MANUFACTURING

Most Common Manufacturing Methods for Fiber

Reinforced Polymeric (FRP) Composites:

- Hand Lay-up

- Spray-up

- Compression & Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

- Pultrusion

- Filament Winding
University of
Alberta
 HAND LAY-UP

Two Main Methods of Hand Lay-up:

• Wet Lay-up:
- dry reinforcement (fiber mat or woven cloths) is first
applied to the mold, and then is saturated with liquid resin
• Dry Lay-up:
- reinforcement and resin (thermoset) are applied
simultaneously as a pre-impregnated fiber tape (prepreg)
- the resin in the prepreg sheets is ‘B’ staged (i.e. solidified
and tacky but only partially cured)

University of
Alberta
 HAND LAY-UP

Source: Wittman and Shook, Hand Lay-up Techniques in

“Handbook of Composites”, (Ed. G. Lubin),
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982

Wet Lay-up Technique

University of
Alberta
 HAND LAY-UP

Wet Lay-up Method

Advantages:
- good method for limited runs or prototyping
(flexible and low capital costs)
Disadvantages:
- highly manual fabrication method
- quality of part is worker dependent (may not be
repeatable)

University of
Alberta
 HAND LAY-UP

Source: J. Wolodko, “Biaxial Fatigue and Leakage

Characteristics of Fiber Reinforced Composite Tubes”,
Ph.D. Thesis, University of Alberta, 1999

Example of Dry Lay-up Technique

(Cylindrical Parts using Rolling Table)
University of
Alberta
 HAND LAY-UP
Dry Lay-up Method
• Advantages:
- superior part quality and repeatability (used by aircraft
industry)
- method can be automated using tape placement machines
(but expensive >$1M)
• Disadvantages:
- requires elevated temperatures to cure the resin and
applied pressure to consolidate the part (i.e. autoclave or
oven/shrink tape)
- material and storage costs are expensive
University of
Alberta
Automated Tape-Laying Equipment

University of
Alberta
 SPRAY-UP

Source: Wittman and Shook, Hand Lay-up Techniques in

“Handbook of Composites”, (Ed. G. Lubin),
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982

Spray-up Technique

University of
Alberta
 SPRAY-UP
• Advantages:
- fast process
- reinforced resin can take on any contour
- can be automated
Disadvantages:
- produces short fiber reinforcement (low strength
applications)
- requires specialized equipment
- spray area requires necessary ventilation

University of
Alberta
 RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING (RTM)
• General Method:
- in a two part mold, the fiber reinforcement (mat, cloth,
porous foam or preforms) is stacked/placed in the mold
- the mold is closed and resin and hardener are either
injected or drawn (via vacuum) into the fiber reinforcement
- polymer phase is cured (at room or elevated temperatures,
depending on resin system used)
Preforms: Fiber network which has the general shape of the
part but is still permeable to resin flow (i.e. skeleton
structure) - fabricated separately by textile technologies
(braiding, etc.) or spray-up (using less resin), and is used for
fast production of parts.
University of
Alberta
RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING (RTM)

Source: B. Jang, “Advanced Polymer Composites: Principles

and Applications”, ASM International, 1994

Schematic of RTM Process

University of
Alberta
 RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING (RTM)
• Advantages:
- can produce complicated shapes (depends upon drapability
of reinforcement)
- can produce a “near-net” shape (which does not require
any further machining)
- can be a fast process (depends on pressure and
reinforcement type)
- can be performed by hand or fully automated (flexible)
• Disadvantages:
- requires a closed mold and injection/vacuum system
- for higher processing speeds, high pressure steel molds
and equipment are required (expensive)
University of
Alberta
 Manufacturing of Textile Preform
Preforms:
Fiber network which has
the general shape of the
part but is still permeable
to resin flow (i.e. skeleton
structure) - fabricated
separately by textile
technology such as
braiding, and is used for
fast production of parts.

University of
Alberta
 PULTRUSION
• General Method:
- dry fiber rovings (strands) are continuously pulled through
a resin bath and forced through dies to form various cross-
sectional shapes
- often the surface is reinforced with cross-ply cloth/veils to
prevent matrix cracking (splitting) along the fiber direction
- polymer phase is cured continuously at elevated
temperatures (specialized fast curing resins)
- sections are automatically parted at required lengths (can
produce long sections)

University of
Alberta
Pultrusion Process and Available Shapes

University of
Alberta
 PULTRUSION
• Advantages:
- produces very strong structural members (unidirectional
continuous fibers) which can be used when the applied
loading is known to be in the fiber direction (i.e. uniaxial or
bending loads)
- very fast process
• Disadvantages:
- expensive and complex machinery required (extensive
capital investment)
- pultruded parts not very good under torsion and transverse
loading (shear)

University of
Alberta
 FILAMENT WINDING
• General Method:
- continuously apply reinforcement and resin system on to a
rotating mandrel, one band of roving at a time
- the applied fiber angle is determined by the relationship
between the mandrel rotation and movement of the
traversing carriage
- trapped air is reduced by applying tension to the fibers
- polymer is cured at room or elevated temperatures
depending upon process and polymer used
- upon removal from mold, final trimming or machining of
the part may be required

University of
Alberta
 FILAMENT WINDING

Two Main Methods of Filament Winding:

• Wet Winding:
- dry fiber rovings are passed through a liquid resin bath,
then continuously applied to the part through a pay-out eye
• Dry Winding:
- reinforcement and resin (thermoset) are applied
simultaneously as a pre-impregnated fiber tow (towpreg)
- the resin in the towpreg rovings is ‘B’ staged (i.e.
solidified and tacky but only partially cured)

University of
Alberta
 FILAMENT WINDING

Source: B. Jang, “Advanced Polymer Composites: Principles

and Applications”, ASM International, 1994

Wet Winding Technique

University of
Alberta
FILAMENT WINDING

Dry Winding Technique

University of
Alberta
 FILAMENT WINDING
• Advantages:
- good method of producing shells of revolution (e.g. pipe,
tubing, vessels and tanks) with very high strength
(continuous fibers)
- can produce parts with complex profiles along its length
and irregular cross-sectional shapes (e.g. rectangular tubing)
- relatively fast process (automated)
• Disadvantages:
- expensive and complex machinery required (extensive
capital investment)
- difficult to wind angles along mandrel axis

University of
Alberta
 FRP MANUFACTURING SUMMARY

Selecting a Manufacturing Method for Fiber Reinforced

Polymeric (FRP) Composites:
- Hand Lay-up and Spray-up can be performed with simple
equipment, and are good methods for limited production runs
and prototyping.
- Automated Tape Lay-up, Rasin Transfer Molding,
Pultrusion and Filament Winding require expensive
equipment to produce parts, but with faster production rate
and pre-fabricated products are available off the shelf (e.g.
beams and tubing)

University of
Alberta
 APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES
Aerospace Applications:

University of
Alberta
APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Evolution of Composite Material Application at Airbus

University of
Alberta
 APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Major Advanced Material Candidate for Airbus A380

University of
Alberta
 APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Optical bench for space application, made from carbon-

fiber/epoxy laminates designed with a near zero coefficient of
thermal expansion
University of
Alberta
APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Automotive Applications:
body parts, driveshafts, springs,
bumpers and CNG tanks

University of
Alberta
APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Formula Raced Car with a Carbon-Fiber/Epoxy Chassis

University of
Alberta
APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Chemical Processing/Petroleum:
pipe, downhole tubing, storage
tanks and pressure vessels
University of
Alberta
APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Recreation: racquets, golf clubs,

hockey sticks, fishing rods, boats
and bicycles
University of
Alberta
 APPLICATIONS OF FRP COMPOSITES

Construction: grating, beams,

scaffolding and infrastructure repair

University of
Alberta