APPLICATION OF RAPID TOOLING FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MOULDS SUITABLE FOR AUTOCLAVE FORMING OF CFRP

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the applicability of an indirect rapid tooling technique to the autoclave forming of carbon bre reinforced plastic laminates. Design/methodology/approach: A rapid prototyping machine was used to process a photo elastic resin to fabricate the pre-moulds. Liquid particle-lled epoxy resin was poured in the pre-mould and cured in an oven. Real autoclave process conditions were then applied to the mould several times to assess the geometrical stability and the accuracy of the produced parts, measured using a laser 3D scanner. Findings :This paper reports the procedures developed for the rapid manufacture of carbon bre reinforced plastic components. Research limitations/implications:The methods is applicable to components of small to medium dimensions (max 500mm). Originality/value: This is a pioneer attempt towards the rapid manufacturing of high performances composite components. It has been presented for patenting purposes (Patent pending Nr. PS2010A000026 [1])