Case studies: low cost, high-strength, large carbon foam tooling
- Touchstone Research Laboratory Ltd., Triadelphia, WV (USA)
A new carbon foam tooling system has been developed that results in a low-cost, high-strength material that has been proving attractive for creation of tooling for composite parts. Composites are stronger; lighter and less subject to corrosion and fatigue than materials that are currently used for fabrication of advanced structures. Tools to manufacture these composite parts must be rigid, durable and able to offer a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) closely matching that of the composites. Current technology makes it difficult to match the CTE of a composite part in the curing cycle with anything other than a carbon composite or a nickel iron alloy such as Invar. Fabrication of metallic tooling requires many, expensive stages of long duration with a large infrastructure investment. Card ban fiber reinforced polymer resin composite tooling has a shorter lead-time but limited production use because of durability concerns. Coal-based carbon foam material has a compatible CTE and strong durability, that make it an attractive alternative for use in tooling. The use of coal-based carbon foam in tooling for carbon composites is advantageous because of its low cost, light weight, machinability , vacuum integrity and compatibility with a wide range of curing processes. Large-scale tooling case studies will be presented detailing carbon foam's potential for tooling applications.
- OSTI ID:
- 21149590
- Journal Information:
- SAMPE Journal, Vol. 45, Issue 1; ISSN 0091-1062
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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