Manufacturing Commons^™

Vacuum Infusion Of Composites: Durability Of Hybrid Large Area Additive Tooling For Vacuum Infusion Of Composites, Nathan Northrup, Jason Weaver, Andy R. George

Faculty Publications

The durability of a hybrid large area additively manufactured fiberglass ABS mold for vacuum infusion of composites was evaluated. The validation was done by designing and fabricating a mold for a custom test artifact and analyzing the surface geometry over the course of multiple infusions until tool failure. After printing and machining, the mold required a sealer to maintain vacuum integrity. The mold was able to produce 10 parts successfully before the sealed tool surface began to tangibly roughen, resulting in increased difficulty of demolding and a rougher surface finish. After the 14th infusion, the part required destructive force to …