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Development of a simple, low-cost method of pre-forming glass fibres for reinforced plastic parts to significantly reduce sme manufacturing costs

Exploitable results

The Fibreform project has developed a permeability rig. The purpose of the rig is to give a comparative indication of permeability and tool closure forces associated with various fibre packs or types of fabric. Initial results show that the rig consistently demonstrates differences in the permeability of different types of fabric, the decrease in permeability due to an increase in fibre pack thickness for a comparative tool closure distance and decreasing permeability due to decreasing mould tool closure distance.
The project has developed a 3D manipulator coupled with a combined roving and binder dispenser. This allows the placement of a randomly orientated continuous fibre preform onto a tool surface. The preform is formed with continuous glass roving held together with a binder. The system has been tried with 2D and 3D shapes and the resulting preforms moulded using an RTM process. The trials proved successful in terms of the permeability and were visually comparable to a moulding manufactured using the Unifilo benchmark material.
The project developed a perforated tooling system that utilises two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Air is drawn through the tool surface causing the fibres to adhere to the tool surface. The manufactured preform is consolidated by placing a transparent film over the perforated tool prior to curing.

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