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Manufacturing of Composites

Open moulding:
• In this process, a single-sided mold is used.
• Gel coat is applied to the prepared mold surface.
Reinforcements are then applied either by hand and then wet-
out with catalyzed resin, or in the spray-up process where
catalyzed resin and chopped fiberglass are sprayed onto the
previously gel coated surface.
• Additional layers of laminate are added to build thickness and
strength as desired.
• Air is then rolled out of the laminate by hand and the part is
left to cure.
• In addition to reinforcements, low density core materials such
as balsa wood, foam, or honeycomb can be added to stiffen the
laminate without adding significant weight.
• Open molding is the most flexible of all composite fabrication
processes as part size and design options are virtually limitless.
• Typically, the open molding process is used for a large size
range of products that cannot be produced in more automated
processes.
• Open mold processes include, spray-up (chopping) and hand
lay-up.
• This well established molding method is used to produce,
boats, RV(Recreational Vehicles) components, truck cabs and
fenders, spas, tubs, showers, and other fiberglass composite
products.
Closed Moulding:
• Closed mold processes are used to produce precision parts at
lower costs for a variety of applications.
• In closed molding, dry reinforcements are laid into the base
mold, the mold is closed and resin is introduced into the closed
cavity using a pressure pump or vacuum.
• When the laminate is cured the mold is opened and the part
removed.
• Compared to open molding, closed molding processes enable
manufacturers to make better parts faster and more
consistently, with less waste.
• Because resin is cured in a closed mold system, there are
significantly fewer emissions, helping manufacturers meet
Federal and State emissions standards, while reducing the need
for worker protective clothing .
• These processes are also less operator dependent compared to
open molding, reduce labor and may require fewer molds
reducing tooling costs.
• The types are Light Resin Transfer Molding (LRTM),
Reusable Bag Molding (RSBM) and Vacuum Infusion Process
(VIP).
Hand layup process:
• First of all, a release gel is sprayed on the mold surface to
avoid the sticking of polymer to the surface.
• Thin plastic sheets are used at the top and bottom of the mold
plate to get good surface finish of the product.
• Reinforcement in the form of woven mats or chopped strand
mats are cut as per the mold size and placed at the surface of
mold.
• Then thermosetting polymer in liquid form is mixed
thoroughly in suitable proportion and poured onto the surface
of mat already placed in the mold. The polymer is uniformly
spread with the help of brush.
• Second layer of mat is then placed on the polymer surface and
a roller is moved with a mild pressure on the mat-polymer
layer to remove any air trapped as well as the excess polymer
present.
• The process is repeated for each layer of polymer and mat, till
the required layers are stacked.
• After curing either at room temperature or at some specific
temperature, mold is opened and the developed composite part
is taken out and further processed.
• Hand lay-up method finds application in many areas like
aircraft components, automotive parts, boat hulls, dash board,
deck etc.
Filament Winding:
• Filament winding creates hollow structures of incredible strength
• The filament winding process involves two primary components. A
stationary steel mandrel rotates, while a carriage arm travels
horizontally up and down the length of the mandrel.
• The traveling arm includes a winding eye, which groups the
rovings—typically of carbon, fiberglass, or a mixture of the two—
and dispenses them to the mandrel.
• As the mandrel turns, the rovings wrap around it to form a
composite layer over the mandrel’s surface.
• The precise orientation of the composite matrix is determined by the
rate of travel of the carriage and by the rotational speed of the
mandrel, both of which are automated.
• Before encountering the mandrel, the fibers are impregnated in a
resin, which later solidifies with the fiber to create the final
composite material.
• Resin type, fiber type, wind thickness and wind angle are all
engineered for product optimization.
• Carbon fiber, fiberglass or aramid fiber, are used embedding
them in a resin matrix.
• It is perfect for pressure vessels, aerospace components, golf
clubs, military armaments, and hundreds of other uses.
• Wherever strength is needed at low weight, wherever
durability and targeted performance characteristics are
imperative, filament winding is the manufacturing process of
choice.
Bag moulding:
• Bag molding is a method of fabricating thermoset plastic
materials into a variety of durable reinforced components, a
process that relies mostly on manual control.
• It involves placing a specialized bag over a plastic workpiece
while it is inside a mold cavity, and applying vacuum or
compressed air pressure around the bag.
• Rollers squeeze out air pockets as pressure is directed against
the bag, and often heat is introduced to aid in the process.
• Bag molding products tend to be compact and strong, with
thickness tolerances resembling those offered by injection
molding.
• Bag molding is traditionally employed for manufacturing high
performance structural components, such as construction
materials, equipment housings, automotive bodies, ship hulls,
and a range of military products.
A Schematic of Vacuum moulding
Injection Moulding:
• Injection molding is the most commonly used manufacturing
process for the fabrication of plastic parts.
• The injection molding process requires the use of an injection
molding machine, raw plastic material, and a mold.
• The process cycle for injection molding is very short, typically
between 2 seconds and 2 minutes, and consists of the following four
stages:
• 1.Clamping - Prior to the injection of the material into the mold, the
two halves of the mold must first be securely closed by the clamping
unit. Each half of the mold is attached to the injection molding
machine and one half is allowed to slide. The hydraulically powered
clamping unit pushes the mold halves together and exerts sufficient
force to keep the mold securely closed while the material is injected.
The time required to close and clamp the mold is dependent upon
the machine - larger machines (those with greater clamping forces)
will require more time. This time can be estimated from the dry
cycle time of the machine.
• 2. Injection - The raw plastic material, usually in the form of pellets, is fed
into the injection molding machine, and advanced towards the mold by the
injection unit. During this process, the material is melted by heat and
pressure. The molten plastic is then injected into the mold very quickly and
the buildup of pressure packs and holds the material. The amount of
material that is injected is referred to as the shot. The injection time is
difficult to calculate accurately due to the complex and changing flow of
the molten plastic into the mold. However, the injection time can be
estimated by the shot volume, injection pressure, and injection power.
• 3.Cooling - The molten plastic that is inside the mold begins to cool as
soon as it makes contact with the interior mold surfaces. As the plastic
cools, it will solidify into the shape of the desired part. However, during
cooling some shrinkage of the part may occur. The packing of material in
the injection stage allows additional material to flow into the mold and
reduce the amount of visible shrinkage. The mold can not be opened until
the required cooling time has elapsed. The cooling time can be estimated
from several thermodynamic properties of the plastic and the maximum
wall thickness of the part.

• 4. Ejection - After sufficient time has passed, the cooled part may be
ejected from the mold by the ejection system, which is attached to the rear
half of the mold. When the mold is opened, a mechanism is used to push
the part out of the mold. Force must be applied to eject the part because
during cooling the part shrinks and adheres to the mold. In order to
facilitate the ejection of the part, a mold release agent can be sprayed onto
the surfaces of the mold cavity prior to injection of the material. The time
that is required to open the mold and eject the part can be estimated from
the dry cycle time of the machine and should include time for the part to
fall free of the mold. Once the part is ejected, the mold can be clamped shut
for the next shot to be injected.
Pultrusion process :
• The pultrusion process is a very efficient way to manufacture
fiber reinforced composite products. The term “pultrusion” is
actually a combination of the words “pull” and “extrusion”.
• Fiber Reinforced Polymers or Plastic is a versatile material
that can be tailored to customers’ specifications through the
pultrusion process.
• First, the pultrusion process involves pulling or drawing
fiberglass through a liquid resin which saturates the glass
reinforcement.
• This saturation with the resin mixture (called “wet-out”)
allows for multidirectional reinforcement, which is why
pultrusion results in a strong material.
• Here a surface veil may also be added to protect against
erosion and provide corrosion resistance and ultraviolent
resistance.
• Second, the combination of resin and fiberglass is then pulled
through a special heated and shaped die (in a process called
polymerization) using a continuous pulling device.
• Next, the mass of reinforcement material hardens to conform to the
shape of the die and is heat-set into a permanent and rigid
structurally reinforced shape.
• Lastly, the resulting high-strength profile is then cut to length —
ready for use when it leaves the pultrusion machine.
Pulforming :
• Pulforming - is similar to pultrusion except that it produces
parts of nonuniform cross section.
• Tool handles and plastic leaf springs are two common products
produced.
• Instead of pulling the preformed material through an
extrusion-like die to create a constant cross section, it is placed
in a mold.
• Additional material may be added where needed.
• The heated mold is closed, curing the resin-reinforcement mix
to the desired shape.
• Although the process does not produce constant cross
sectional shapes, parts produced often have only minor
changes in shape along their length.
Blow moulding:
• Blow molding is a molding process in which air pressure is
used to inflate soft plastic into a mold cavity.
• It is an important industrial process for making one-piece
hollow plastic parts with thin walls, such as bottles and similar
containers.
• Since many of these items are used for consumer beverages for
mass markets, production is typically organized for very high
quantities.
• The technology is borrowed from the glass industry with
which plastics compete in the disposable or recyclable bottle
market.
• Blow molding is accomplished in two steps:
(1) fabrication of a starting tube of molten plastic, called a
parison (same as in glass-blowing);
(2) inflation of the tube to the desired final shape.

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