Soft tooling system for aerospace applications

Citation

(2001), "Soft tooling system for aerospace applications", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2001.12773cad.011

Soft tooling system for aerospace applications

Soft tooling system for aerospace applications

Keywords: Vantico, Boeing, Tooling

Vantico and the Boeing Company's Rotorcraft Division have developed a new modelling material and process that reportedly enables mouldmakers to rapidly build lay-up tools at a cost that is up to 70 per cent less than for conventional tooling techniques.

The process is said to be quick, simple and economical. Vantico explains that it provides a new solution for prepreg tooling and is designed specifically for use in an oven or an autoclave to make prototype and pre-production fly-away composite parts.

The time and cost savings of the LCTC process are thought to be derived from the use of low cost, commercial grade aluminium honeycomb that is cut to the profile of the final tool, but some 10mm under the final surface coordinates. This honeycomb core forms the main body of the tool, and also the base onto which the RP 4040 patty is applied to form the tool surface. The patties, which reportedly do not need to be stored under refrigeration, are rolled directly onto the honeycomb and merge readily into one homogenous layer. This layer is left a few mm proud of the final cut-line, eventually to be machined away to provide the accurate tool surface once the tool has been cured by heating up to the temperature it is to be used at.

Tools made in this way are described as lightweight, accurate, dimensionally stable and are considered very well suited to fabricating prototypes and short-run production parts from prepregs using either an oven or an autoclave for consolidation. The LCTC production technique is believed to enable tools to be made in one simple step – from CAD data to model surface.

Vantico informs us that once cured, the epoxy paste can be high speed machined at up to 5m/min, and can be easily reapplied and machined to accommodate later design changes or to make repairs.

Vantico is offering RP 4040 and the Boeing LCTC process to manufacturers of composite parts such as aerospace and racing car companies. Organisations purchasing RP 4040 will be automatically licensed to use product and process.

Details available from: Kay Roberts, TOPS Dept. E-mail: kay@tregartha-dinnie.co.uk; Web site: www.vantico.com