infrared heat for composites
An infrared heating system from Heraeus Noblelight is helping the Hyde Group of Stockport to develop composites manufacturing techniques to advance the application of composite structures in the aircraft of the future.
Composite materials are being increasingly specified in aircraft structures and components, some currently featuring composites structures for over 50% of its structure, including the fuselage. This allows dramatic savings in weight allowing corresponding improvements in fuel economy.
The Hyde Group carries out extensive research and development projects and programmes for aircraft manufacturers and one such project involves the forming of multi-ply, pre-preg composites.
Infrared heat for composites
Multi-ply composite assemblies are rigid by nature and, consequently, they must be softened if they are to be formed into specified profiles on moulding tools before curing in autoclaves. Hyde’s project engineers investigated various heating techniques to achieve the required softening of the multi-ply assemblies. The softening process was first investigated using hot air guns but warm air ovens were rejected as a solution because of their space requirement and oil-heated mould tools were considered to be potentially contaminating in a process which demands extreme cleanliness.
Eventually, after successful tests at Heraeus’s Neston Applications Centre, it was decided to use a fast-response, medium wave infrared heating system. This is installed in a robotic cell and the multi-ply assembly is located in front of the 6 kW infrared emitter by two robots, heated to around 70ºC until it is suitably pliable and then laid on the moulding tool, where specially designed rollers ensure that it follows the tool profile.
