The outline of a Course given in the Department of Polymer Engineering to 3rd and 4th year students at UMIST

S F Bush and J M Methven

Aim

To equip the student to analyse the properties and processes needed to design and manufacture polymer composite artefacts.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the meaning of Integrated Design and Manufacture for polymer composite products.
• To be able to analyse for impact, fatigue, fracture, creep, thermal conduction, gaseous permeation, in polymer products.
• To analyse the behaviour of fibre reinforced composites in their various forms.
• To be able to apply the concepts and analysis to practical examples in the engineering, construction, automotive, electrical, and packaging sectors.

Syllabus

Integrated Design and Manufacture:[1] the main choices of process and material types; design rules for relating process to product; process pathways and “order of processing steps” principle; design methodology exemplified by thermoplastic gas pipe distribution system: six design stages including screening out unsuitable materials. Failure modes: impact, fatigue, fracture and creep analysis. Stress analysis, thermal conduction, permeation of gases and application to packaging and gas containment generally.

Fibre reinforcement:[1] distinction between continuous, long, and short discrete fibres. Control of fibre orientation. Fibre touch and composite strength equations. Applications to thermoplastic injection mouldings, pipe and sheet extrusions and blow-mouldings: practical examples from automotive, textiles, drinks sectors.

Lightweight materials for design of sandwich panels:[2] classes of cellular plastics – for thermoset and thermoplastics. Manufacture of foams – materials, reaction injection moulding, thermoplastic (structural) foams. Structure and properties of foams – stiffness, thermal conductivity. Compounding for cost reduction and property enhancement: applications in automotive and electrical sectors. Manufacture of dough moulding compounds and sheet moulding compounds: mechanical properties from rule(s) of mixtures applied to 3 components (resin, filler and fibre).

Assessments

90% by written exam

Pre-requisites

Second year Engineering Materials

References

[1] Prof S F Bush

[2] Dr J M Methven

A series of lectures given in the Dept of Polymer Engineering to students at UMIST

S F Bush and J M Methven

Aim

To allow the student to make strategic choices of material and process for polymer-based products.

Learning Outcomes

In the context of applications to the aerospace, automotive, construction and engineering sectors:

• To be able to understand and use the concepts of Utility and Scale in the materials and process selection stage of design;
• To recognise the main features of the various available manufacturing processes and the way in which the shape of product narrows the choice of process;
• To understand the main forms of reinforcement and additive used in polymer composites and their uses in products;
• To understand the application of rapid prototyping and rapid tooling in the making of small quantities of pilot products.

Syllabus

Concept of Utility[1] as a guide to selecting materials. Influence of production scale on process choice. Examples taken from aerospace, automotive and consumer applications using standard production processes including extrusion, injection moulding, resin transfer, filament winding and autoclave moulding.

Continuous and discrete fibre composites:[2] relative advantages and disadvantages. Design of structural components using continuous fibre reinforcements by pultrusion. Control of fibre placement. Composite failure mechanisms. Design of sandwich panels and honeycomb laminates, rubber products: seals, gaskets, springs. Applications to aerospace, building and piping systems.

Concept of Fibre Management[1] for different processes and products. Distinction between thermoplastic and thermoset composites and between speciality and bulk polymers. Common types of polymer and of fibre and their advantages and disadvantages. Minimising weight and maximising recycle in automotive and packaging applications. Mould design considerations in injection moulding applications to aerospace and other panel forms.

Fibre reinforced sheet moulding compounds[2] and processes and their application to large area panels in construction and land transport. Polymer composites made by resin transfer moulding. Lotus cars example. Polymer composites made by continuous fibre pultrusions including microwave assisted methods and their application in fibre optic cabling for terrestrial and aerospace application.

Rapid prototyping and pilot tooling[3] for metal as well as polymeric products. Prototyping techniques based on CAD and Stereolithography; 3-D printing, (laminated object manufacture and laser sintering.) Examples of surgical instruments made this way. Use of silicone moulds as short run production tools.

References

[1] Prof S F Bush

[2] Dr J M Methven

[3] S F Bush/J M Methven