TESTING The 9-axis 3D
weaving machine prototype in
development at the centre
examine viscosity and aid in developing resin formulations and new curing techniques and infrared spectrometry to examine the movement and evolution of specific chemicals within the composite matrix and identify anomalies.
Expanding processing possibilities
Testing and certification is not the full story however. Supporting these activities is a suite of processing equipment to ensure the facilities are well fed and that engineers can react quickly to results being obtained with updated samples. With a dedicated lay-up clean room, autoclave, ovens, pressing equipment and resin transfer moulding facilities, the processing department resembles any contemporary subcontract facility, but with the support of the University of Manchester’s School of Materials, the centre has also taken on the development of new and advanced processes which are attracting interest from companies across the sector. One particular example being developed by the textiles
department is an interpretation of the 3D weaving technology that currently holds great interest for manufacturers due to its speed and versatility and consequently the ability to produce complete, complex components, especially hollow components such as nacelles or UAV fuselages in a single set-up. The current design features two rotating rings allowing 9 axes of motion surrounding a stationary mandrel for simultaneous tow placement in any orientation, although this is an area of manufacture that holds a great deal of further potential. A second project features another machine developed at the
The centre’s Quickstep machine, which is being used to research new resin formulations
will never fail and the machines should fall apart before the sample.” explains Walker. “However, they are very sensitive to cracks and defects like sharp corners or pores causing premature failure and it’s never linear. Predictability is the largest problem facing those producing and maintaining structural products and small cracks change the behaviour of a whole sample.” Developing a better understanding of these problems however,
the centre has a whole range of technologies available including X-ray tomography for 3D reconstruction of the internal structure of samples, various ultrasonic technologies to identify the size, position and orientation of cracks and shearography and thermography capabilities for rapid identification of changes to material structures. A powerful scanning electron microscope which unconventionally doesn’t require samples to be coated and can analyse samples in just half an hour completes the non- destructive equipment investment, allowing for detailed examination of surface structures at the micro and nano scale. The third main area of testing, chemical processing, is utilised
to investigate reaction kinetics in order to establish the parameters for correct and repeatable curing, the most important aspect being to achieve consistent material flow to eliminate porosity. This includes differential scanning calorimetry to examine mechanical changes under heating, rheometry to
36 | Composites in Manufacturing | Autumn 2010
centre which uses a 4-axis robot to place glass fibre on a pin board at any orientation to build a 3D structure with a highly specific fibre orientation to improve interlaminar tolerance, and will be of particular benefit for those producing curved structures such as radomes. The centre is also a research partner to Quickstep, an Australian company with an alternative, out-of-autoclave curing method which uses flexible bladders filled with pre-heated oil for rapid, low viscosity processing to ensure void levels lower than 1%. The NCCEF currently houses the only Quickstep machine in the UK and in collaboration with Bolton University, is using the machine to develop new resin formulations suited to rapid manufacture. With these projects and many more to come, the NCCEF is
expected to play a prominent role in the development of new technologies within the UK sector but more important however, will be its role as a cohesive force for those across the whole industry to make the most of the opportunities this rapidly changing market will present.
Ó
www.manchester.ac.uk/nccef
NCCEF CEO Andrew Walker
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