Pilot-Scale Autoclave for Composite Manufacturing and Repair Lab

复合材料在所有交通工具中的应用越来越广泛。在最新的波音787和空客A350等商用飞机中，先进复合材料的使用占整个机身的50%以上。在汽车应用中，对燃料经济性的强调正在推动使用更轻的材料，并且复合材料正在大规模制造的底盘中找到它们的用途。复合材料制造可以通过不同的工艺来实现，这些工艺可以分为两类：高压灭菌工艺和高压灭菌工艺外的工艺。百年学院的运输学院正在寻求通过收购一个中试规模的高压釜来改善其先进的复合材料制造设备。这种高压釜的可用直径约为3英尺，压力容器的长度大于5英尺，将使学院能够制造和修理航空航天级先进的复合材料结构。该高压灭菌器安装在交通学院位于唐斯维尔公园的航空新校区，将用于学术教学和工业应用研究合作。航空机械课程将使用高压釜来教授复合材料的制造和修理。该高压釜也将提供给百年学院的其他部门，用于教授复合材料的选择和制造。 航空航天公司以及汽车复合材料制造商对与该学院的研究人员合作表现出极大的兴趣，并使用高压釜测试和验证制造和组装过程以及复合材料的修复。

Composite materials are gaining greater use in all transportation vehicles. In commercial aircraft such as the newest Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350, the use of advanced composite materials accounts for over 50% of the overall airframe. In automotive applications the emphasis on fuel economy is pushing the use of lighter materials and composite materials are finding their use in mass manufactured chassis. Composite manufacturing can be achieved with different processes that can be grouped in two categories: autoclave process and out-of-autoclave process. Centennial College's School of Transportation is looking to improve its advanced composite manufacturing equipment in the composite laboratory by acquiring a pilot-scale autoclave. This autoclave with a useable diameter of about 3 ft and a length of the pressure vessel greater than 5 ft would enable the college to manufacture and repair aerospace grade advanced composite structures. The autoclave, installed in the School of Transportation's new campus for aviation at Downsview Park, would be used for both academic teaching and industry applied research collaborations. The aviation mechanic program would use the autoclave to teach composite manufacturing and repair. The autoclave would also be accessible to other departments at Centennial College for teaching composite materials selection and manufacturing. Aerospace companies, as well as automotive composite manufacturers have manifested great interest in collaborating with the research staff at the college and use the autoclave to test and validate manufacturing and assembly processes as well as repair of composite materials.