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Manufacturing Method For Composites
Manufacturing Method For Composites
Manufacturing Method For Composites
Composites
http://claymore.engineer.gvsu.edu/eod/manufact/manufact-259.html#pgfId-513508
http://www.eha-maschinenbau.de/
• Materials
– Most fibers are used (carbon, glass, aramids) and Resins must be fast curing
because of process speeds. (polyester and epoxy)
• Processing
– speeds are 0.6 to 1 m/min; thickness are 1 to 76 mm; diameters are 25mm to 5m
– double clamps, or belts/chains can be used to pull the part through. The best designs allow for continuous
operation for production.
– diamond or carbide saws are used to cut sections of the final part. The saw is designed to track the part as
it moves.
– these parts have good axial properties.
• Advantages
– good material usage compared to lay-up
– high throughput and higher resin contents are possible
• Disadvantages
– part cross section should be uniform.
– Fiber and resin might accumulate at the die opening, leading to increased friction causing jamming, and
breakage.
– when excess resin is used, part strength will decrease
– void can result if the die does not conform well to the fibers being pulled
– quick curing systems decrease strength
– Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 22
Matched Die Molding
• Matched die molding involves molding of composites with two
sided molds.
• Materials
– The molds are typically steel molds and
• Production rates
– Used for high volume production (up to 1 million parts per year)
• Processes
– SMC molding- compression molding with polyester and glass.
– BMC molding- similar to SMC but with a lot of filler.
– GMT molding- compression molding of thermoplastic PP and glass.
– Preform molding- spray process of polyester with chopped glass.
– SRIM molding- molding of liquid polyurethane resin and glass
preform.
– RTM molding- molding of polyester resin and glass preform.
Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 23
BMC Materials
• BMC- Bulk Molding Compound
– Materials
• BMC is a combination of chopped glass strands with resin as a bulk prepreg.
• Unlike SMC, it is not necessary to have recourse to a maturation step, and
consequently, BMC prepreg formulations contain higher filler contents.
• The reinforcements are essentially chopped glass strands of 6 or 12mm.
– The reinforcement content is generally between 10 and 20%.
– The filler is usually calcium carbonate with consequent economic benefit.
• The resins are polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, urea, melamine, phenolic, or
polyurethane
– Processing
• BMC is suitable for either compression or injection molding.
– Design
• Injection molding of BMC can produce complex components such as electrical
equipment, car components (headlamps), housings for electrical appliances and
tools in large industrial volumes.
Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 24
Sheet Molding Compound (SMC)
• SMC is the paste that is compression molded
– 33% polyester resin and styrene, which polymerizes and crosslinks
– 33% glass fibers (1” fibers)
– 33% Calcium Carbonate
Type of Part Casting Stamping Cast & Stamping Casting Casting Stamping
Size of Part Small Large Medium Large Large Large
Tensile Strength (psi) 5,000 12,000 10,000 23,000 55,000 14,000
Flexural Strength (psi) 15,000 26,000 22,000 37,000 85,000 28,000
Specific Gravity 1.9 1.75 2 1.85 1.8 1.2
Comparison to Steel
Sheet Molded IM
Compound Thermoplastic Aluminum
Part Consolidation Excellent Excellent Fair
Mass Reduction from steel 25% 30% 25%
Corrosion Resistance Best Better Good
Impact Resistance Best Better Poor
Tooling Cost Reduction 60% 40% 0%
Stiffness Ratio to steel 6% 2% 30%
Thermal Expansion to steel 100-130% 600-1000% 170-200%
Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 28
Compression Molding Process
• Materials
•Thermosets: Polyester, Vinyl ester, or Epoxy resins with glass fiber
•Sheet Molding Compound (SMC), Bulk Molding Compound (BMC)
•Thermoplastics: Polypropylene, polyester, or others with glass fibers
•Glass Mat Thermoplastic (GMT), thermoplastic BMC
•Elastomers: Thermoplastic or Thermoset rubbers
•Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO), Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), Thermoplastic
Rubber (TPR)
•Thermoset Styrene Butidiene Rubber
Thermoplastic:
Heat Plastic
prior to molding
Thermosets:
Heat Mold
during molding
Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 29
GMT Compression Molding
• GMT: Glass Mat Thermoplastic
• Materials http://www.azdel.com/Products.htm
– Products: General Electric Company- Azdel
– AZDEL Laminate, GMT
• Resin: thermoplastic polypropylene – 60% by weight
• Glass: continuous glass mat- 40% by weight
• Five layer composite of glass fiber and thermoplastic resin.
• Usually compression molded in a process similar to SMC, this material may also be
thermoformed using several industry standard methods of production.
• Typically used in more structural applications where surface finish is not an issue.
• Typical applications include vehicle bumper beams, underbody shields, etc.
• Available in three types of glass fiber mat: Chopped, Random & Uni-directional.
– AZDEL SuperLite®
• A low pressure, thermoformable composite of polypropylene and long chopped fiber
combined with outer layers as needed for the application (i.e.; adhesive film, barrier film,
tough PP film, non-woven, reinforcing, or just the bare surface.)
• A sheet product that is primarily thermoformed into shape.
• Typically used in less demanding structural applications where a high stiffness-to-weight
ratio is required.
• Typical applications include vehicle interior substrates (headliners, shelves, etc.)
Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 30
AZDEL GMT Material Applications
• Azdel http://www.azdel.com/Products.htm
– AZDEL is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of high-performance
thermoplastic composite materials serving a wide variety of markets and industries
including automotive, large truck, materials handling, HVAC, and building &
construction.
– AZDEL is a joint venture company between GE Advanced Materials (PP plastic)
and PPG, Inc.(glass-fiber technology)
– Products
• Bumper beams, seat backs, instrument panels, interior parts, roof racks, A/C housings
RIM mixing Copyright Joseph Greene 2001 RIM flow into mold 35
Processing of Composites
• Open Mold processes
– Vacuum bag, pressure bag, SCRIMP
– VARTM, Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding
– autoclave: Apply Vacuum Pressure and Heat in an oven which can be 5 feet to 300
feet long
• Process Window
– Temperature and pressure must be set to produce chemical reaction
without excess flash (too low a viscosity), short shot (too high a
viscosity), degradation (too much heat)