| A new injection system has been designed and manufactured at the chair on composites of high performance (CCHP). The focus of the chair is to manufacture high-performance composites for the high volume production industry. One of the goals with this system is to optimize and control the manufacturing process. Another objective is to reduce the fabrication time of composite structural parts, thus cutting production costs and hence, enabling a more widespread use of composite materials for high-volume applications.;This phenomenon was well understood in the polyurethane manufacturing industry when companies used low pressure equipment. Over the years the industry moved from low pressure pneumatic systems to high pressure hydraulically actuated systems. The reliability of the equipment improved, as well as the quality of the final products.;This report looks at the development steps of an epoxy type bi-components thermoset polymer, made by Robin Dube. The use of an impingement mixing head with an epoxy resin is the principal innovation of the system. The works described in this thesis has lead to the manufacturing of an injection system using high pressure mixing technology. We start by introducing composites materials and commercial mixing technologies. Then, the specifications of the injection system are established in the chapter 3 and the selection of the required parts for its construction is made. The operation of every part is explained, particularly the principle of the impingement mixing head. The chapter 4 looks at the operation steps used to program the programmable logic controller, the modelisation of the machine, as well as the manufacturing and the assembly of the system. In conclusion, the obtained results for the injection of an epoxy thermoset resin with our system are underlined and some recommendations are done.;The injection system plays an important role in achieving rapid molding. In order to achieve the fastest and the most reliable cycle times, it will be essential to automate the different processing steps. The injection strategy followed by the mixing head arrangement can either drive the process quickly or cost valuable time and possibly introduce unwanted process scrap. In traditional low pressure RTM processes, pneumatic valves are being used. These valves aid manufacturers in automating the injection process; additionally they help to eliminate throw-away tubing for feed lines and vents. Unfortunately these devices, typically pneumatic, are not robust and do not flush clean when using epoxies. With a rapidly curing epoxy resin this will most likely be an issue. |
