Unit 3-Fabrications

UNIT 3
FABRICATIONS
OF
THERMOSET
COMPOSITES
OPT551FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS HASTON AMIT KUMAR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JEPPIAAR ENGINEERING COLLEGE 1
TOPICS
Hand lay up method, compression and
transfer moulding, pressure and vacuum
bag process, filament winding,
pultrusion, reinforced RIM, RRIM,
Injection moulding of thermosets, SMC
and DMC, Advantages and
disadvantages of each method
FABRICATION
DEFINITION
The process of impregnating various
fiber layers with resinous material to
form a structural laminate which is
used to build up a structure is called as
Fabrication.
TYPES OF FABRICATION
1.OPEN MOULD PROCESS
i. Hand Lay (Wet)
ii.Spray Up
iii. Filament winding
iv. Pultrusion
2. CLOSED MOULD PROCESS
• Resin Transfer Molding (RTM),
• Light Resin Transfer Molding (Light RTM),
• Closed Cavity Bag Molding (CCBM) and
• Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP)
• Vacuum Bagging,
• Compression Molding,
• Injection Molding
PROCESSING OF FRP BASED ON MATRIX
Forming Processes for Thermosetting matrix composites:
• Pultrusion.
• Resin transfer molding.
• Hand layup and spray up techniques.
• Filament winding.
• Autoclave molding. Forming Processes for Thermoplastic
matrix composites:
• Injection molding.
• Diaphragm forming.
WET or HAND LAY UP
HAND LAY UP
HAND LAY UP
Advantages:
• low cost tools
• versatile: wide range of products
Disadvantages:
• time consuming
• easy to form air bubbles and disorientation of fibers
• inconsistency
APPLICATIONS
• wind-turbine blades,
• boats and
• architectural moldings
SPRAY UP •Chopped glass fibers
and resin are
simultaneously deposited
in (or on) an open mold.
•The fiberglass rovings
are fed through a
chopper and blown into a
resin stream which is
directed at the mold by
either of two spray
systems (external or
internal mix).
SPRAY UP
SPRAY UP
Equipment consists of the following.
A spray up system consisting of 1. Pumps for resin and/ or catalyst
a means to transport resin and 2. Pressure pots for catalyst
catalyst through hoses to a gun 3. Pressure pots for flushing solvents.
which disperses the resin and 4. Chopper for the reinforcement.
5. Various air regulators and gauges
catalyst along with chopped for control.
fibers of reinforcement (usually 6. Boom and dolly assembly or
glass) onto a preformed surface, chassis.
thus generating a "spray-up" 7. Various hoses for transporting
laminate materials.
8. Gun assembly for dispersing
material
SPRAY UP
APPLICATIONS: Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Simple enclosures • Continuous • Slow.
• lightly loaded process • inconsistency
structural panels, e.g. • Any materials • No control of fiber
caravan bodies can be used as orientation.
mold • Only one side
• truck fairings • Error can be finished.
• Bathtubs corrected by re- • Environmental
• shower trays spraying unfriendly.
FILAMENT WINDING
FILAMENT WINDING
• Filament winding is an automated open molding process that uses a rotating mandrel as the
mold.
PROCESS
1. The male mold configuration produces a finished inner surface and a laminate surface on
the outside diameter of the product.
2. Continuous strand roving is fed through a resin bath and wound onto a rotating mandrel.
3. The roving feed runs on a trolley that travels the length of the mandrel.
4. The filament is laid down in a predetermined geometric pattern to provide maximum
strength in the directions required.
5. When sufficient layers have been applied, the laminate is cured on the mandrel. The
molded part is then stripped from the mandrel.
6. Equipment is available for filament winding on a continuous basis with to axis winding
for pressure cylinders.
7. Filament winding can be combined with the chopping process and is known as the hoop
chop process.
FILAMENT WINDING
FILAMENT WINDING
• Filament winding results in a high degree of fiber loading, which
provides high tensile strength in the manufacture of hollow,
generally cylindrical products such as chemical and fuel storage
tanks, pipes, stacks, pressure vessels, and rocket motor cases.
• The process makes high strength-to-weight ratio laminates and
provides a high degree of control over uniformity and fiber
orientation.
• The filament winding process can be used to make structures that
are highly engineered and meet strict tolerances.
• Because filament winding is computer-controlled and automated,
the labor factor for filament winding is lower than other open
molding processes. 16
OPT551FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS HASTON AMIT KUMAR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JEPPIAAR ENGINEERING COLLEGE
OPT551FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS HASTON
AMIT KUMAR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JEPPIAAR ENGINEERING 17
COLLEGE
FILAMENT WINDING
Advantages:
• using existing textile processes.
• quick, easy to handle package.
• parts can have huge size.
Disadvantages:
• spinning speed is limited due to resin penetration and
splashing, traveler speed and yarn breakage.
• curing by heat is not easy to apply.
• shape of the products limited (only cylindrical possible).
FILAMENT WINDING PRODUCTS
• Compressed air tanks • Pressure bottles
• High-pressure CO2 tanks and • Rocket motor casing
bottles • Chemical storage tanks
• Water softener systems • Pipelines
• Rescue air tanks • Gas cylinders
• Sail boat masts • Fire-fighters
• Compressed Natural Gas tanks • Breathing tanks
• Defense/Aerospace systems
• Light poles
PULTRUSION
Pultrusion is a process where composite parts are manufactured by pulling layers of fibers/fabrics,
bathed with resin, through a heated die, thus forming the desired crosssectional shape with no
length limitation.
20
PULTRUSION
Fibers are pulled from a set of fiber creels and through a resin bath. It then pass through a
performer which gives it required cross sectional shape. The F & C dies finalize the required
shape & remove excess resin & cure the composite so that it can be cut into required length.
Pultrusion is a continuous process for the manufacture of products having a constant cross
section, such as rod stock, structural shapes, beams, channels, pipe, tubing, fishing rods, and
golf club shafts.
PULTRUSION-Process
• Pultrusion produces profiles with extremely high fiber loading; thus, pultruded
products have high structural properties.
• The process can be readily automated and is adaptable to both simple and
complex cross-sectional shapes.
• Very high strengths are possible and labor costs are low.
1. Continuous strand glass fiber, carbon fiber or basalt fiber roving, mat, cloth, or
surfacing veil is impregnated in a resin bath and then pulled (therefore the
term pul-trusion) through a steel die by a powerful tractor mechanism.
2. The steel die consolidates the saturated reinforcement, sets the shape of the
stock, and controls the fiber/resin ratio.
3. The die is heated to rapidly cure the resin.
4. Many creels (balls) of roving are positioned on a rack, and a complex series of
tensioning devices and roving guides direct the roving into the die.
PULTRUSION
ADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
• Automated processes.
• High speed.
Beams and girders
• Versatile cross-sectional shape. used in roof
• Continuous reinforcement. structures.
DISADVANTAGES Bridges
• Die can be easily messed up. Ladders
• Expensive die. Frameworks
• Mainly thermoset matrix.
VACUUM BAGGING
VACUUM BAGGING
VACUUM BAGGING
• By reducing the pressure inside the vacuum bag, external
atmospheric pressure exerts force on the bag. The pressure on the
laminate removes entrapped air, excess resin, and compacts the
laminate, resulting in a higher percentage of fiber reinforcement.
• Vacuum bagging can be used with wet-lay laminates and prepreg
advanced composites. In wet lay up bagging the reinforcement is
saturated using hand lay up, then the vacuum bag is mounted on the
mold and used to compact the laminate and remove air voids.
27
VACUUM BAGGING-Process
1. In the simplest form of vacuum bagging, a flexible film (PVA, nylon, mylar, or
polyethylene) is placed over the wet lay up, the edges are sealed, and a vacuum is
drawn.
2. A more advanced form of vacuum bagging places a release film over the laminate,
followed by a bleeder ply of fiberglass cloth, non-woven nylon, polyester cloth, or
other material that absorbs excess resin from the laminate.
3. A breather ply of a non woven fabric is placed over the bleeder ply, and the vacuum
bag is mounted over the entire assembly.
4. Pulling a vacuum from within the bag uses atmospheric pressure to eliminate voids
and force excess resin from the laminate.
5. The addition of pressure further results in high fiber concentration and provides
better adhesion between layers of sandwich construction.
6. When laying non-contoured sheets of PVC foam of balsa into a female mold, vacuum
bagging is the technique of choice to ensure proper secondary bonding of the core to
the outer laminate.
VACUUM BAGGING
ADVANTAGES:
• simple design
• any fiber/matrix combination
• ok with cheap mold material
• better quality for the cost
DISADVANTAGES:
• cannot be heated up too much
• breeder clothe has to be replaced frequently
• low pressure (760 mm Hg the most)
• slowest speed
• inconsistency
RESIN TRANSFER MOULDING
RTM is a closed-molding
process also known as
liquid molding. Resin
formulations are mixed
with a hardener, or
catalyst, and injected into
a mold that contains dry
fibers, such as fiberglass,
where the part is allowed
to harden and form
RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING - RTM
Resin transfer molding (RTM) is an intermediate volume
molding process for producing composites.
In RTM, resin is injected under pressure into a mold cavity.
This process produces parts with two finished surfaces.
1. A relatively low-pressure vacuum (100 psi) process
2. Molds near complete shapes in 30-60 minutes.
3. Highest quality surface technically achievable
4. Both injection and cure can take place at either ambient
or elevated temperature
RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING – RTM (Process)
1. The mold is gel coated conventionally, if required. The reinforcement (and core
material) is positioned in the mold and the mold is closed and clamped.
2. The resin is injected under pressure, using mix/meter injection equipment, and
the part is cured in the mold.
3. The reinforcement can be either a preform or a pattern cut roll stock material.
4. A preform is a reinforcement that is formed to a specific shape in a separate
process and can be quickly positioned in the mold.
5. RTM can be done at room temperature; however, heated molds are required to
achieve fast cycle times and product consistency.
6. Clamping can be accomplished with perimeter clamping or press clamping.
ADVANTAGES
• The process is very efficient.
• Suitable for complex shapes.
• High fibre volume laminates can be obtained with very low void
contents.
• Good health and safety, and environmental control due to enclosure
of resin.
• Possible labor reductions.
• The final product gets a superior surface finish
• Better reproducibility.
• Relatively low clamping pressure and ability to induce inserts.
DISADVANTAGES
• waste some material (spill)
• curing time long
• hard for intricate parts
• APPLICATIONS
Hollow cylindrical parts like motor casing, engine covers, etc
RESIN INFUSION MOULDING(RIM)
• The RIM molding process begins
when two liquid agents—an A-
component (polyol) and B-
component (isocynate)—are placed
in separate tanks and heated to an
elevated temperature.
• They are then fed at high pressure
into a mixhead.
• Once combined, the mixed liquid
flows into a mold where the
chemical reaction takes place,
forming a polymer in the mold.
RESIN INFUSION MOLDING - RIM
VACUUM ASSISTED RESIN TRANSFER
MOLDING
COMPRESSION MOLDING
• Compression molding is a high-volume, high-
pressure method suitable for molding complex,
high-strength fiberglass reinforcements.
• Advanced composite thermoplastics (PMC) can
also be compression molded with
unidirectional tapes, woven fabrics, randomly
oriented fiber mat or chopped strand
COMPRESSION MOLDING
COMPRESSION MOLDING
• Compression molding tooling consists of heated metal molds
mounted in large hydraulic presses.
• The process can be automated.
• Compression molding enables part design flexibility and features
such as inserts, ribs, bosses and attachments.
• Good surface finishes are obtainable, contributing to lower part
finishing cost.
• Subsequent trimming and machining operations are minimized in
compression molding and labor costs are low.
COMPRESSION MOLDING-Process
• The mold set is mounted in a hydraulic or mechanical molding press
and the molds are heated from 250° to 400° F.
• A weighed charge of molding material is placed in the open mold.
The two halves of the mold are closed and pressure is applied.
• Depending on thickness, size, and shape of the part, curing cycles
range from less than a minute to about five minutes.
• After cure, the mold is opened and the finished part is removed.
• Typical parts include automobile components, appliance housings and
structural components, furniture, electrical components, and
business machine housings and parts.
COMPRESSION MOLDING
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• High Volumes • High investment
• Excellent surface finish • Long tooling time
• Molding complex, high- • Requires pre-processing of
strength large parts the molding material
• Two finished surfaces
• Part consistency
REINFORCED REACTION INJECTION
MOULDING(RRIM)
There are several types of compression molding
that are defined by the type of material
molded:
a) sheet molding compound (SMC),
b)bulk molding compound (BMC),
c) thick molding compound (TMC),
d)and wet lay-up compression molding.
SHEET MOULDING COMPOUND (SMC)
• Sheet moulding compound (SMC) or sheet moulding composite is a
ready to mould glass-fibre reinforced polyester material primarily used
in compression moulding.
• SMC is both a process and reinforced composite material.
• This is manufactured by dispersing long strands (usually >1”) of chopped
fiber, commonly glass fibers or carbon fibers on a bath of thermoset resin
SMC-Process
• Paste reservoir dispenses a measured amount of specified resin paste onto a plastic carrier
film.
• This carrier film passes underneath a chopper which cuts the fibers onto the surface.
• Once these have drifted through the depth of resin paste, another sheet is added on top which
sandwiches the glass.
• The sheets are compacted and then enter onto a take-up roll, which is used to store the
product whilst it matures.
• The carrier film is then later removed and the material is cut into charges.
• Depending on what shape is required determines the shape of the charge and steel die which it
is then added to.
• Heat and pressure act on the charge and once fully cured, this is then removed from the
mould as the finished product.
• Fillers both reduce weight and change the physical properties, typically adding strength.
• Production challenges include wetting the filler, which could consist of glass microspheres or
aligned fibers rather than random chopped fibers; adjusting die temperature and pressure to
provide the proper geometry; and adjusting chemistry to end use. 49
SMC-Advantages
• Very high volume production ability,
• Excellent part reproducibility,
• It is cost effective as low labor requirements per production level
is very good and
• Industry scrap is reduced substantially.
• Weight reduction, due to lower dimensional requirements and
because of the ability to consolidate many parts into one, is also
advantageous.
• The level of flexibility also exceeds many counterpart processes.
BULK MOULDING COMPOUND (BMC),
Bulk moulding compound (BMC), bulk moulding composite,
or dough moulding compound (DMC), is a ready-to-mold,
glass-fiber reinforced thermoset polymer material primarily
used in compression moulding, as well as in injection
moulding and transfer moulding.
APPLICATIONS:
Electrical Applications, Corrosion Resistant Needs, Appliance,
Automotive, And Transit.
BMC -PROCEDURE
1. BMC is manufactured by mixing strands (Greater than 1/8” and less
than 2") of
a)chopped glass fibers, styrene, an initiator, and filler in a mixer(30% glass
fibers, 25% filler, and 45% resin, styrene, and initiator) with
b)an unsaturated thermoset resin (commonly polyester resin, vinyl ester
resin or epoxy resin).
2. The mixing is done at room temperature and stored at low temperatures
to slow down curing prior to molding.
3. The concentration of the mixture can vary depending on application
4. The material is provided in bulk or in logs approximately 4" in diameter.
ADDITIVES & FILLERS
• A wide variety of additives and modifier ingredients can be used to expand the
usefulness of polymers, enhance their processability or extend product
durability.
• Although additives are generally used in relatively low quantity by weight
compared to resins, reinforcements and fillers, they perform critical functions.
• While additives and modifiers often increase the cost of the basic material
system, these materials always improve cost/performance.
• There are a number of additives that are used to modify and enhance resin
properties that become a part of the polymer matrix.
54
ADDITIVES
1. Thixotropes
2. Pigments & Colorants
3. Fire Retardants
4. Suppressants
5. UV Inhibitors & Stabilizers
6. Conductive Additives
7. Release Agents
INITIATORS, PROMOTERS & INHIBITORS
• In polyesters, the most important additive is catalyst or initiator.
• Typically, organic peroxide such as methylethylketone peroxide (MEKP) is used for
room temperature cured processes, or benzoyl peroxide is added to the resin for
heat-cured molding.
• When triggered by heat, or used in conjunction with a promoter (such as cobalt
napthenate), peroxides convert to a reactive state (exhibiting free radicals),
causing the unsaturated resin to react (cross-link) and become solid.
• Some additives such as TBC (tertiary butyl catechol) are used to slow the rate of
reaction and are called inhibitors.
• Accelerators such as DMA (dimethyl aniline) speed curing.
FILLERS
Fillers are often referred to as extenders.
In comparison to resins and reinforcements, fillers are the least expensive of
the major ingredients.
Fillers can improve mechanical properties including fire and smoke
performance by reducing organic content in composite laminates.
• Calcium carbonate
• Kaolin
• Alumina trihydrate
• Calcium sulfate

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