Session: 04-03 Emerging Technologies: New Applications of AM

Paper Number: 93952

93952 - A Feasibility Study for Additively Manufactured Composite Tooling 

As the flexibility and reliability of additive manufacturing (AM) and its corresponding design tools increases, AM is becoming a viable option for many industries. One particular application area that could benefit from AM is composite component manufacture. The layup and moulding of composite materials face significant challenges presented by increasingly compressed design timescales, growing demand for productivity, and the soaring complexity of components and end products. Furthermore, the UK has made sustainability a priority to meet its obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. While lightweight composite structures are expected to help reduce emissions during operation, energy is still the single biggest factor in the lifecycle analysis of the manufacturing process. The way in which composite curing equipment and tooling are designed and manufactured has not changed since high-performance composites were first used in aerospace applications in the 1970s. Therefore, there is an immediate potential to save energy by reducing the mass of the curing equipment and tooling and enhancing process heat transmission. As a result of the aspect ratio of typical composite parts and therefore the size of the required autoclaves, energy is wasted heating and cooling the thermal mass of the curing equipment and tooling during each curing cycle. The poor heat transfer attainable by convection in autoclaves exacerbates this inefficiency.  

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the lowering of embodied energy within mould tools that are printed using an AM process. Using an AM approach, it is possible to design lightweight curing tools to increase the curing rate and quality of heat distribution in the mould. A starting rectangular geometry of 100x100mm x 1-2mm with three lattice types to optimise the heat transfer of the curing surfaces while maintaining sufficient structural strength of the parts. The viability of additively producing these cure tools was assessed by analysing the geometrical precision of the composite mould outputs, material utilisation, and heat transmission qualities of each sample.

Presenting Author: Max Valentine University of Bath

Presenting Author Biography: Max Valentine is a third-year PhD candidate at the University of Bath, UK, where he is part of the AMPS research group, which specialises in advanced manufacturing methods. Max has expertise in the design for metal additive manufacturing, as well as the properties of the constituent metallic powders used in SLM and their relationship to part quality. His research is primarily concerned with the design and application of metallic AM processes for use in low-quantity personalised components. Along with his PhD research, Max is interested in and has worked on projects related to lattice structure design and the design of sports equipment.

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