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.