Composite

Manufacturing
Processes

Submitted by :-Shubham Bhardwaj

Shubham Maheshwari
Sumit Aggarwal
Sumit Singal
Surenra Kumar Mahala

Composite Manufacturing Processes

Processes:
Hand Lay-up
Pre-preg forming
Pressure molding
Vacuum bagging
Filament winding

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

Prepreg forming
Machine

Prepreg forming

Composite Production Methods

Pultrusion
Continuous fibers pulled through resin tank, then
preforming die & oven to cure

Adapted from Fig.

16.13, Callister 7e.

Production rates around 1 m/min.

Applications are to sporting goods (golf club shafts), vehicle drive
shafts (because of the high damping capacity), nonconductive
ladder rails for
electrical service, and structural members for
vehicle and aerospace applications.

PREPREG PRODUCTION PROCESSES

Prepreg is the composite industrys term for continuous fiber

reinforcement pre-impregnated with a polymer resin that is only

partially cured.

Prepreg is delivered in tape form to the manufacturer who then

molds and fully

cures the product without having to add any resin.

This is the composite form most widely used for structural

PrePreg Process
Manufacturing

wound

begins by collimating a series of spoolcontinuous fiber tows.

Tows are then sandwiched and pressed between

sheets of release and carrier paper using heated
rollers (calendering).
The release paper sheet has been coated with a thin
film of heated resin solution to provide for its thorough
impregnation of the fibers.

PrePreg Process
The final prepreg product is a thin tape
consisting of continuous and aligned fibers
embedded in a partially cured resin
Prepared for packaging by winding onto a
cardboard core.
Typical tape thicknesses range between 0.08
and 0.25
mm
Tape widths range between 25 and 1525 mm.
Resin content lies between about 35 and 45 vol
%

Prepreg forming
Advantages:
orientation of fibers can be changed
consistent
high productivity

Disadvantages:
continuous process needs more
customers
limited shelf life
delamination

Prepreg forming

Pressure molding

Pressure molding
Advantages:
wide range of shapes
integrate parts
consistency
structural stability
relatively simple

Disadvantages:

high cost of machine

time consuming to heat up, cool down and curing
expensive molds (strong materials required)
no intricate parts
large volume of products

Vacuum bagging
Process

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

Filament winding

Filament winding

Filament winding

Filament winding products

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Compressed air tanks

High-pressure CO2 tanks and bottles
Water softener systems
Rescue air tanks
Sail boat masts
Compressed Natural Gas tanks
Defense/Aerospace systems
Lightpoles

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).