There is a strong push within the composite industry to adopt closed molding processes that reduce hazardous emissions to the environment, offer improved working conditions and increase reproducibility from part-to-part. In recent years, many companies have adopted or are seriously considering vacuum infusion process (VIP) manufacturing to meet these needs. The expanding acceptance of VIP can also be traced to the number of new products entering the market that support and enhance the process. Suppliers of resin distribution materials are beginning to proliferate the market and fabric manufacturers are offering fibrous reinforcements that help resin flow while strengthening the composite part. Core suppliers have also adapted their products to work in VIP for molding sandwich panels. WebCore Technologies (Dayton, Ohio) has developed a new infusible structural core material, TYCOR that greatly enhances VIP for composite sandwich structures. WebCore also provides a variety of infusible core materials and even a new VIP process to facilitate customer transition to vacuum infusion molding.
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