Autoclave moulding is an advanced

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

manufacturing process.

Procedure

It is a process that uses a two-sided mould set that forms both surfaces of the panel. On the upper side is a flexible membrane made from silicone or an extruded polymer film such as nylon and on the lower side is a rigid mould. Reinforcement materials can be placed manually or robotically. They involve continuous fibre forms fashioned into textile constructions. Usually, they are pre-impregnated with the resin in the form of

prepreg Pre-preg is a composite material made from "pre-impregnated" fibers and a ''partially cured'' polymer matrix, such as epoxy or phenolic resin, or even thermoplastic mixed with liquid rubbers or resins. The fibers often take the form of a weave ...

fabrics or unidirectional tapes. In some situations, a film of resin is placed upon the lower mould, and dry reinforcement is placed above. The upper mould is installed, and the vacuum is applied to the mould cavity. The assembly is placed into an

autoclave An autoclave is a machine used to carry out industrial and scientific processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure in relation to ambient pressure and/or temperature. Autoclaves are used before surgical procedures to perform sterilizati ...

. This process is generally performed at both elevated pressure and elevated temperature. The use of elevated pressure facilitates a high fibre volume fraction and low void content for maximum structural efficiency.{{Cite web, title=Autoclave molding – CSIR – NAL, url=https://www.nal.res.in/en/techniques/autoclave-molding, access-date=2020-11-10, website=www.nal.res.in

References

Composite materials Composite material fabrication techniques