BeginnerTopic 28 of 102Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems
Plastic and composite manufacturing
Moulding, layup and curing methods.
In depth
Plastics: injection, blow, rotational moulding, thermoforming, extrusion. Composites: hand lay-up, resin transfer, vacuum infusion, prepreg autoclave, filament winding, pultrusion, compression moulding. Control resin cure, fibre orientation and voids; tooling and cycle time dominate cost.
Key points
- Cure kinetics
- Mould design (gates, vents)
- Out-of-autoclave processes
ExampleWind turbine blades are made by vacuum infusion of glass fibre.
What is Plastic and composite manufacturing?
Moulding, layup and curing methods.
Why is it important to understand plastic and composite manufacturing?
Plastics and composites are formed by moulding, layup and curing, which makes complex and lightweight parts in high volume.
What is layup?
Placing layers of fibre and resin by hand or machine onto a mould, followed by consolidation and curing.
Why is curing important for composites?
Curing sets the matrix and fixes the fibre position, so the final properties depend strongly on the cure cycle.
How is Plastic and composite manufacturing used in practice?
Typical applications include moulding a housing for a power tool by injection, laying up carbon fibre sheets to form a racing car tub and curing a composite panel in an autoclave for aerospace use.
What should I learn before Plastic and composite manufacturing?
Study "Additive manufacturing" first (topic 27 of 102 in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Plastic and composite manufacturing?
Cure kinetics. Mould design (gates, vents). Out-of-autoclave processes.
Can you give an example of Plastic and composite manufacturing?
Wind turbine blades are made by vacuum infusion of glass fibre.
What comes after Plastic and composite manufacturing?
The next topic is "Powder and ceramic processing", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Plastic and composite manufacturing?
It is classed as Beginner in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems (topic 28 of 102). It is an entry-level topic. It relies only on basic school mathematics and the ideas introduced earlier in this discipline.