High Temperature Removable Tooling

Recent developments in ATP and AFP have revolutionized the composites industry. They have enabled affordable automated production with high dimensional tolerances. ATP/AFP operations often use a tool over which the material is laid. A removable tool allows for manufacture of complex parts in one operation rather having to make multiple parts and joining them secondarily. Such tooling remains a challenge as it needs to maintain its dimension and strength throughout the layup and consolidation process especially when high temperature (>700°F) thermoplastics are used.In conventional prepreg layups, there are multiple removable material systems that can be used for trapped geometries.  These include dissolvable tools (water/solvent), shape change, flexible, inflatable, and melt out.  However, these materials have insufficient thermal and mechanical stability for high temperature ATP/AFP.Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing (ACM) and the University of Delaware (UD) are teaming to develop and test “HotCore” removable tooling materials. ACM is a leader in water soluble tooling and holds multiple patents. UD is the leader in composite manufacturing research.  Our proposed HotCore materials combine inorganic binders with inorganic fillers that work together to achieve low thermal expansion, high strength, and washout capability. HotCore materials will operate to ~400°C (752°F) and be removable with water. Our Phase I program will develop and optimize tooling formulations that can produce repeatable, high tolerance cores that will function in standard aerospace autoclave conditions (autoclave 350°F/100 psi) but also function in thermoplastic (e.g. PEEK, PEKK, PPS) ATP/AFP