Optimization of the Resin Transfer Moulding Machine to produce composite materials for Airbus

Abstract

Resin Transfer Molding is a technique used to make composite materials. Reinforcement material is placed in half of the mold and the second half of the mold clamped over the top. The reinforcement material can be pre-pressed into the mold shape; this is known as "preform". Resin materials are machine-mixed prior to being injected under pressure into the mold cavity. Complete wetting of the reinforcement material is achieved by either a pinch off device or application of vacuum to draw the resin through the cavity. Once the mold cavity is filled, the resin inlet is closed and the laminate allowed to cure. The current problem starts when it comes to making a fully homogeneous semi cured throughout the composite; this is because the machine operates under a limited design and control. One of the things to be improved is the monitoring of the gradient of the temperature, and this can be done by making a few changes in the position of each thermocouple. Another thing to consider is to make a complete change in the control of the machine, that is, changing the hardware and software. The changes in the machine will require different experiments in order to study the performance of the system, thus, observation will be a key parameter during the development of the project, considering that controlling the temperature takes a lot of time in order to establish a pattern. Finally, the main idea will be to compare the performance of the current system with the new one, taking into account the final product, the time of the process, the money investment, among other things.