MORPHING MOLD TOOLS

摘要

Tooling for low thermal expansion fibre reinforced composites is often made from highly expensive, low coefficient of expansion matched high Nickel Iron (Invar) or Bismaleimide (BMI) carbon based materials. By building tools from graded structures that change shape precisely during cure, and optimizing cycle times through the use of intelligent real-time heating/cooling environments, 'mass' Autoclave and Out-of-Autoclave production can be achieved. Fewer 'rate' tools are required lowering investment and reducing break even volumes. Mold tools built from hybrid structure metallic pins can negate the need for Invar and BMI carbon while ensuring precise fiber alignment during processing. With multiple heating and cooling zones, rapid manipulation of thermoset and thermoplastic cure profiles to locally moderate, accelerate, decelerate cure will also be demonstrated. This approach significantly increases process control and allows real-time and even predictive control of complex structure cure profiles. Implementation of advanced control strategies allows exotherm management in thick section thermosets and custom levels of amorphousity in semi-crystalline thermoplastics.