Understanding Various Manufacturing Methods

of Composite Materials

A PROJECT REPORT
SUBMITTED IN COMPLETE FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THR AWARD OF THE DEGREE
OF
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
Submitted by:

ARKO SARDAR (2K20/ME/45)

ARMAAN (2K20/ME/46)

Under the supervision of

Dr. Mukesh Dadge

DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

(FORMERLY Delhi College of Engineering)
Bawana Road, Delhi-110042
 CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION

We,( Arko Sardar(2K20/ME/45) and Armaan (2K20/ME/46)) students of

Beach hereby declare that the project titled “Understanding Various
Manufacturing Methods Of Composite Materials” which is submitted by us to
Delhi Technological University ,Delhi in partial fulfillment of the requirement
for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology , may be copied from
any source without proper citation. This work has not previously formed the
basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma Associateship, Fellowship or other
similar title or recognition.

Place: Delhi Arko Sardar(2K20/ME/45)

Date: Armaan (2K20/ME/46)

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 CERTIFICATE

I hereby certify that the project Dissertation titled “Understanding Various

Manufacturing Methods Of Composite Materials” which is submitted by Arko
Sardar(2K20/ME/45) and Armaan (2K20/ME/46)Delhi Technological University ,
Delhi in complete fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Technology , is a record of the project work carried out by the
students under my supervision . To the best of my knowledge this work has not
been submitted in part or full for any Degree or Diploma to this University or
elsewhere.

Place: Delhi Dr. Mukesh Dadge

(Professor)
Date: SUPERVISOR

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In performing our major project, we had to take the help and guideline of some
respected persons, who deserve our greatest gratitude. The completion of this
assignment gives us much pleasure. We would like to show our gratitude Dr.
Ajeet Kumar, mentor for major project. Giving us a good guideline for report
throughout numerous consultations. We would also like to extend our deepest
gratitude to all those who have directly and indirectly guided us in writing this
assignment.

Many people, especially our classmates and team members itself, have made
valuable comment suggestions on this proposal which give us and inspiration
to improve our assignment. We thank all the people for their help directly and
indirectly to complete our assignment.

In addition, we would like to thank Delhi Technological University for giving us

the opportunity to work on this topic.

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 CONTENT

• INTRODUCTION
• MAKING A COMPOSITE
• OPEN-MOULDING
• CLOSED-MOULDING
• CAST POLYMER MOULDING
• CONCLUSION
• REFENCES

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 INTRODUCTION

Composite materials are formed by combining two or more materials

that have quite different properties. The different materials work
together to give the composite unique properties, but within the
composite you can easily tell the different materials apart – they do not
dissolve or blend into each other.

Composites exist in nature. A piece of wood is a composite, with long

fibers of cellulose (a very complex form of starch) held together by a
much weaker substance called lignin. Cellulose is also found in cotton
and linen, but it is the binding power of the lignin that makes a piece of
timber much stronger than a bundle of cotton fibers.

More than strength

Nowadays many composites are made for functions other than simply
improved strength or other mechanical properties. Many composites are
tailored to be good conductors or insulators of heat or to have certain
magnetic properties; properties that are very specific and specialized but also
very important and useful. These composites are used in a huge range of
electrical devices, including transistors, solar cells, sensors, detectors, diodes
and lasers as well as to make anti-corrosive and anti-static surface coatings.

Composites made from metal oxides can also have specific electrical
properties and are used to manufacture silicon chips that can be smaller
and packed more densely into a computer. This improves the computer’s
memory capacity and speed. Oxide composites are also used to create
high temperature superconducting properties that are now used in
electrical cables.

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MAKING A COMPOSITE
Most composites are made up of just two materials. One material (the
matrix or binder) surrounds and binds together a cluster of fibers or
fragments of a much stronger material (the reinforcement). In the case
of mud bricks, the two roles are taken by the mud and the straw; in
concrete, by the cement and the aggregate; in a piece of wood, by the
cellulose and the lignin. In fiberglass, the reinforcement is provided by
fine threads or fibers of glass, often woven into a sort of cloth, and the
matrix is a plastic.

The threads of glass in fiberglass are very strong under tension but they
are also brittle and will snap if bent sharply. The matrix not only holds
the fibers together, it also protects them from damage by sharing any
stress among them. The matrix is soft enough to be shaped with tools,
and can be softened by suitable solvents to allow repairs to be made.
Any deformation of a sheet of fiberglass necessarily stretches some of
the glass fibers, and they are able to resist this, so even a thin sheet is
very strong. It is also quite light, which is an advantage in many
applications.

Over recent decades many new composites have been developed, some
with very valuable properties. By carefully choosing the reinforcement,
the matrix, and the manufacturing process that brings them together,
engineers can tailor the properties to meet specific requirements. They
can, for example, make the composite sheet very strong in one direction
by aligning the fibers that way, but weaker in another direction where
strength is not so important. They can also select properties such as
resistance to heat, chemicals, and weathering by choosing an
appropriate matrix material.

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Choosing materials for the matrix
For the matrix, many modern composites use thermosetting or
thermosetting plastics (also called resins). (The use of plastics in the matrix
explains the name 'reinforced plastics' commonly given to composites). The
plastics are polymers that hold the reinforcement together and help to
determine the physical properties of the end product.

Thermosetting plastics are liquid when prepared but harden and become
rigid (i.e., they cure) when they are heated. The setting process is
irreversible, so that these materials do not become soft under high
temperatures. These plastics also resist wear and attack by chemicals
making them very durable, even when exposed to extreme environments.

Choosing materials for the reinforcement

Although glass fibers are by far the most common reinforcement, many
advanced composites now use fine fibers of pure carbon. There are two
main types of carbon that can be used – graphite and carbon nanotubes.
These are both pure carbons, but the carbon atoms are arranged in
different crystal configurations. Graphite is a very soft substance (used in
‘lead’ pencils) and is made of sheets of carbon atoms arranged in hexagons.
The bonds holding the hexagons together are very strong, but the bonds
holding the sheets of hexagons together are quite weak, which is what
makes graphite soft. Carbon nanotubes are made by taking a single sheet of
graphite (known as graphene) and rolling it into a tube. This produces an
extremely strong structure. It’s also possible to have tubes made of multiple
cylinders – tubes within tubes.

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Open Molding
In Open Molding, fibers are impregnated with resin and allowed to cure
in open molds and harden. They are best of low volume production and
helps in rapid prostacyclin in development cycles and designs can be
easily changed if required. The requirement for tooling is little to none
and thus low cost and has wide sizing potential. Secondary finishes are
only required on the sides which do not come in contact with the
mound.

The following are types of closed molding processes:

● Hand Layup is the easiest and the cheapest of all the methods.
It involves layering and orienting of fibers on one side of the
mold. The orientation can be altered to give added strength and
stiffness can that metal cannot duplicate with the same weight.
Resin is then poured on the prepared layer and brushed of rolled
on using a hand roller. The rolling/brushing motion removes
entrapped air, ensures complete wet out of the fabric, and
densifies the composite. Use of Catalyst is optional is curing in
absence of heating is required. Typically, low volume and large
objects are molded in this manner. It requires the least

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equipment’s and skilled operators can ensure consistent quality.
The size of molding does not matter and turbine blades, aircraft
parts, car panels, architectural moldings, boats, storage tanks,
tubs and showers can be made easily.

● Spray up is similar to hand layup but is uses a special

equipment called chopper/spray gun to deposit chopped fibers
on the mound. Manual rolling is used then to remove entrapped
air. This method is typically used for molds with greater
complexity than those used in hand layup and results in faster
production. It is ideal for producing larger parts the fibers are
short, which compromises strength, and since resin is sprayed –
low viscosity, strength and thermal, properties are also
compromised. Examples: showers and bathtubs

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● Filament winding is used to produce round-form products that
have a high degree of structural integrity (tanks, pipes, pressure
vessels, etc.). A rotating mandrel is used as the mold and is
automated. The rotating mandrel spins as fibers impregnated
with resin are wound around the mandrel (mold) into
predetermined geometric pattern. Many fiber/resin systems can
be used in this process. It is a very fast method where resin
content is controlled. This method yields makes high weight to
strength laminates, high fiber weight percentages, and can
controlled fiber orientation that gives directional strength
characteristics. But at the same time, the shape possible is limited
to circular and oval products, as mandrel may be expensive, and
poor external surface finish that may affect aerodynamics in some
applications It is mainly used in making sail boat masts, cement
mixers, aircraft fuselages, tanks, chemical storage tanks, gas and
pressure cylinders.

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Closed Molding
For most larger scale plastic production, closed molding processes are
more advantageous. With closed molding methods, dry reinforcing
material can be put into the mold, which is then closed. The plastic resin
is then put into this enclosed cavity, using either a vacuum or pressure
pump to infuse it with resin. Once the material cures, the mold is
opened and the plastic part or product is removed. The following are
types of closed molding processes:

• Vacuum bag molding improves the laminate’s mechanical

properties, by which liquid resin is applied to reinforcing fibers
before a vacuum is used to force out excess resin and trapped air
to compact the laminate. This process offers greater adhesion
between sandwiched layers and helps eliminate excess resin
buildup often found with the open molding hand lay-up technique.
It’s typically used in manufacturing products across a wide array of
industries, though its molds are similar to those used with
standard open mold methods.

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• Vacuum infusion processing uses vacuum pressure to infuse resin
directly into laminate, using inexpensive and minimal equipment.
Used for low-volume products, this technique typically is used
when manufacturing very large structures, producing lightweight
laminates while reducing emissions. It’s a more recently developed
technique that is used to manufacture large objects such as wind
turbine blades, boat hulls or structures in the aerospace industry.

• Resin transfer molding, also referred to as RTM, involves loading

reinforcement material, often fiberglass, into closed molds, which
are then clamped before pumping resin under pressure into the
cavity through injection ports. This procedure allows
manufacturers to produce complex parts with smooth finishes, and
can be applied to either simple or highly automated processing.
This process allows for limitless combinations and orientations to
be used, including three dimensional reinforcements. It’s used to
make yacht hulls and decks, windmill rotor blades and for various
purposes in the automotive, aerospace, military, and construction
industries.

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• Compression molding involves sandwiching composite materials
between two matching molds, using heat and intense pressure
until the part cures. Allowing for quick molding cycles and highly
uniform parts, it’s used in the manufacturing of complex polymer
components reinforced with fiberglass.

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• Pultrusion allows for the formation of long, consistently shaped
objects, using continuous strands that are moved through and
soaked in resin baths. These elongated shapes are then pulled
through heated steel molds and molded into lengths. The process
can be easily automated, and is used to manufacture solid or
hollow bars, tubing, channels, pipes or rods.

• Reaction injection molding heats and combines multiple liquid

resins separately as they are injected into a closed mold.
Composites made through this process feature lower manhours,
quicker cycling, lower scrap rates and low-pressure mold clamping.
An almost identical process called “reinforced reaction injection
molding” introduces reinforcing material into the composite
mixture. This process allows fashioning of products that include
body panels, vehicle bumpers and fenders, spoilers, roofing fascia
and floor paneling

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 .
• Centrifugal casting or rotational molding uses a rotating mold,
where reinforcing material and/or resin solidify against the inside
surface of the mold. The centrifuge holds the material in place as it
hardens and cures, and is used to produce hollow objects, such as
piping.

• Continuous lamination combines resin and fibers in a highly

automated process, sandwiching the two between two carrier
films that are then steered along a conveyor. After forming rollers
form these into sheets, the resin is cured and used to make
paneling and sheeting.

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Cast Polymer Molding
Cast polymers are unique in the composites industry: they typically don’t
have fiber reinforcement and are designed to meet specific strength
requirements of an application. Cast Polymer is an umbrella term
referring to the production of "synthetic" cast products - generally either
cultured marble, cultured onyx, cultured granite - but recently additional
materials such as engineered stone and other polyester and acrylic
resin-based materials. Cast polymer molding is used to produce parts of
any shape or size.

• Gel coated cultured stone

Several variations of cultured stone products are manufactured using a
gel coated surface and a resin-matrix casting process. In this process a
gel coat film (usually clear) is sprayed on the mold surface. Once the gel
coat is sufficiently cured, a polyester resin matrix is blended by adding
various types of fillers to the resin. Pigments for both a solid background
color and the look of veins found in natural stone can be added. The
resin matrix is then transferred to the mold, where vibration is applied
to level and compact the matrix. Following the cure, the part is removed
from the mold.

Gel coat is not paint. Paint contains solvents that must evaporate for the
paint to dry. The ‘solvent’ in gel coat is styrene monomer and/or
methylmethacrylate (acrylic), which cross-links during curing. The
monomer does not have to leave the system for the gel coat to cure; in
fact, it is beneficial to reduce monomer loss.

The appearance of the cultured stone products is determined by the

type of filler used and by the application of colorants to the matrix.
Fillers come in a variety of materials. Many of the fillers used in the

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composites industry are mineral substances. Mineral fillers have
distinctive shapes that relate to their chemical structure.

❖ Marble: The natural marble look is reproduced by formulating a

matrix using calcium carbonate filler. In some cases, other fillers
or combinations of fillers may be used. Resin, initiator, filler, and
pigment are mixed to form a solid-color matrix. The marble
veining effect is created by adding a second pigment to the
matrix and partially mixing it to produce the desired look.
❖ Onyx: The process of manufacturing cultured onyx is similar to
that of cultured marble, except alumina trihydrate (ATH) filler is
used. The cultured onyx matrix generally has a higher resin
content compared with cultured marble, and the combination
of materials creates a translucent appearance. Background and
veining pigments are added to the matrix to produce an onyx
stone look.
❖ Granite: The cultured granite appearance is created by blending
colored chips into the resin matrix. These chips can be made
from cultured marble castings, thermoplastics, or even actual
granite stone that has been ground into particles. The cultured
granite matrix usually consists of polyester resin, initiator,
colored chips, and ATH filler.

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 • Solid surface molding
Solid surface, or densified, castings are made using vacuum-mixing
techniques to produce a matrix that is void free. This produces a
material that presents a uniform surface when it is cut, sanded, or
bonded. Solid surface castings are post-cured at elevated temperatures
(in the range of 200 degrees Fahrenheit) to enhance the physical
properties of the matrix and produce a stable product. Solid surface can
be compression molded, which is a high-pressure, closed-molding
process suitable for molding high volumes of complex solid surface
parts. The compression molding process uses matched metal-heated
molds mounted in large hydraulic presses. Compression molding
produces fast molding cycles and high part uniformity but requires a
high capital investment in tooling and equipment.

This process is capital intensive and labor-efficient. Labor costs are low
due to the fast cycle times and reduced post-mold finishing, while
capital costs are high for heated-metal tooling and molding presses.
Compression molding is a good option for large production volumes of
uniform parts.

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CONCLUSION
The greatest advantage of composite materials is strength and stiffness
combined with lightness. By choosing an appropriate combination of
reinforcement and matrix material, manufacturers can produce
properties that exactly fit the requirements for a particular structure for
a particular purpose.

Modern aviation, both military and civil, is a prime example. It would be

much less efficient without composites. In fact, the demands made by
that industry for materials that are both light and strong has been the
main force driving the development of composites. It is common now to
find wing and tail sections, propellers and rotor blades made from
advanced composites, along with much of the internal structure and
fittings. The airframes of some smaller aircraft are made entirely from
composites, as are the wing, tail and body panels of large commercial
aircraft.

In thinking about planes, it is worth remembering that composites are

less likely than metals (such as aluminum) to break up completely under
stress. A small crack in a piece of metal can spread very rapidly with very
serious consequences (especially in the case of aircraft). The fibers in a
composite act to block the widening of any small crack and to share the
stress around.

The right composites also stand up well to heat and corrosion. This
makes them ideal for use in products that are exposed to extreme
environments such as boats, chemical-handling equipment and
spacecraft. In general, composite materials are very durable.

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Another advantage of composite materials is that they provide design
flexibility. Composites can be molded into complex shapes – a great
asset when producing something like a surfboard or a boat hull.

Additionally, a lot of work is currently being directed towards

development of composite materials made from waste products, such
as agricultural waste, building materials or plastic drink containers.

The downside of composites is usually the cost. Although manufacturing

processes are often more efficient when composites are used, the raw
materials are expensive. Composites will never totally replace traditional
materials like steel, but in many cases, they are just what we need. And
no doubt new uses will be found as the technology evolves. We haven’t
yet seen all that composites can do.

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 REFRENCES
• http://compositeslab.com/composites-manufacturing-
processes/
• http://www.materialseducation.org/educators/matedu-
modules/docs/Composite_Manufacturing_Processes.pdf
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228766301_MA
NUFACTURING_PROCESS_AND_APPLICATIONS_OF_COMPO
SITE_MATERIALS
• https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/fabrication-
methods
• https://smicomposites.com/the-most-popular-composite-
fabrication-methods/
• www.materialseducation.org/educators/matedu-
modules/docs/Composite_Manufacturing_Processes.pdf
• https://www.science.org.au/curious/technology-
future/composite-materials

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