GOALI: Consolidation and Curing of Advanced Composite Parts Using Elastomer-Coated Tooling

这项与工业界学术联络的资助机会（GOALI）为研究和开发一种名为橡胶涂层模具（PCRT）的先进复合材料零件的新制造工艺提供了资金。这是使用真空袋包装复合材料部件的标准做法的新替代方案，使其能够在高压灭菌器中承受高温和高压，以进行最后的固化和固化制造步骤。PCRT工艺从工艺中消除了高压灭菌器，并通过使用特殊设计的橡胶涂层模具赋予所需的温度和压力。研究目标包括通过广泛的模拟和实验获得对过程更深入的物理理解，创建强大的模拟工具，用于设计模具组，模具基础材料研究，橡胶面罩，以及与复合系统的相互作用，以及扩展工艺能力以实现最终的商业化。GOALI的合作伙伴Kintz Plastics， Inc. （Howes Cave， NY）将在研究工作的各个方面提供帮助，并成为这项技术的第一个采用者。如果成功，这项研究的结果将从根本上改变复合材料制造商制造中小型层压板和夹层部件的方式，这些部件需要高固结压力和温度。它将消除复合材料行业面临的主要制造瓶颈之一，即过程中的高压灭菌步骤。一项已发表的研究表明，对于相对复杂的三维复合层压板部件，与使用高压灭菌器相比，PCRT在制备时间、固定和重复成本和能源消耗方面减少了几个数量级，同时仍然提供类似质量的部件。预计类似的结果将被证明为更广泛的零件形状和材料系统作为这项工作的结果。

This Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) grant provides funding for the research and development of a new manufacturing process for advanced composite parts called Press Curing with Rubber-coated Tooling (PCRT). This is a new alternative to the standard practice of using a vacuum bag to encase the composite part to enable it to be subjected to high temperature and pressure in an autoclave for the final manufacturing step of consolidation and curing. The PCRT process eliminates the autoclave from the process and imparts the desired temperature and pressure through the use of a specially designed rubber-coated mold. Research objectives include gaining a deeper physical understanding of the process through extensive simulation and experimentation, creating robust simulation tools for designing mold sets, fundamental materials research on tooling, rubber masks, and interactions with composite systems, and expanding process capabilities to allow for eventual commercialization. The GOALI partner for this grant, Kintz Plastics, Inc. (Howes Cave, NY), will help with all aspects of the research work and be the first adopter of this technology.If successful, the results of this research will fundamentally change how composite manufacturers make small- to medium-size laminate and sandwich parts requiring high consolidation pressure and temperature. It will eliminate one of the major manufacturing bottlenecks facing the composites industry the autoclave step in the process. A published study has shown that for a relatively complex three-dimensional composite laminate part, PCRT provides orders of magnitude reduction in preparation time, fixed and recurring costs and energy consumption as compared to using an autoclave, while still providing parts of similar quality. It is expected that similar results will be demonstrated for a wider range of part shapes and material systems as a result of this work.