|
Emerging Technology
The TCM™ concept: Temperature Controlled Molding is an innovative approach to molding, curing and post-curing composites at specific temperatures. So what differentiates TCM™ from heated molds and curing ovens? These are after all technologies that are well established and frequently used to produce high quality composites for wet lay-up, infusion and prepregs applications. But TCM™ goes way further: TCM™ controls the temperature at the mold surface within very precise margins, using both heating and cooling during the composites manufacturing, generating gradual cross-linking progress at any stage of the process. Unlike heated molds or ovens, which rely on an extensive array of sensors and separate controlled zones to modulate the amount of heat added to achieve specific ramp rates and dwell temperatures, CMT can change the process temperatures both up and down, a critical requirement to control exotherm reactions during cure. This makes TCM™ far superior to the most sophisticated electrically heated molds: it can match all the heat input requirements that an electrically heated mold or a forced-air oven can provide, but TCM™ can generate heat and cooling, and it has the potential to do it at a much faster rate than other systems, thus providing optimized curing profiles. This allows the manufacture of complex laminates and/or thick stacks with complete exotherm control and minutely dialed in ramp/dwell/descend rates.
TCM™ is also process-independent: a single TCM™ mold can be used for:
1. Controlled specific laminate temperature regardless of shop temperature for wet lay-ups, Vacuum Infusion or Light RTM.
2. High temperature vacuum infusion, where very low resin viscosities are required for complete and quick saturation of high fiber volume laminates, and subsequent temperature modulation is required to control gradual cross linking and avoid runaway exotherm reactions.
3. Prepreg and RFI laminates. TCM™ makes it possible to manufacture thicker laminate sections, due to it’s powerful mold surface temperature control which can prevent excessive exotherm build-up.
4. The new generation of Nano-Technology CRP resin formulations, which have unlimited flow times at very low viscosities and can cure-on-demand using temperature modulation after completion of infusion.
TCM™ does not lead to over-cooked or under-cured areas in a variable thickness laminate. An added benefit of TCM™ molds is that they don’t fatigue as fast as electrically heated molds, as there are no heating wires or other “hot spots” in the mold. The entire mold heats or cools gradually in accordance with the process cycle. While the development of the TCM™ took more than 10 years, an experienced composites technician can learn the use of the TCM™ molds in a two-day training course during which application of all of the above technologies is taught in the classroom and practiced in the lab. TCM™ Composites and MATC, supported by the Maine State NSAI have created a state-of the art lab with a series of TCM™ training molds and all the materials, instrumentation and equipment to learn, practice and evaluate this exciting new technology.
Two-day COURSE PROGRAM:
1. The TCM™ concept: an analysis of the impact of complete temperature control on composites molding processes, with lab demos.
2. Review of the four most common composites manufacturing processes, and the techniques/equipment typically used for each process
3. Saftey aspects of working with TCMtm units
4. Lab One: Ambient molding and Post-cure use: demo on prepared part and analysis
5. Lab 2: Prepreg and dry resin film infusion: application techniques, hands-on
6. Lab 3: High temp VIP and LRTM infusion with epoxy/UPR resin systems
7. Lab 4: Infusing thick laminates with CRP BlocBuilder Nano technology
8. Demolding and evaluation of lab experiments
9. Case studies and Q&A for attendee-specific applications and cost/benefit analysis
Course hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
|
