INNOVATION IN PULTRUSION/EXTRUSION

THERMOSET POLYMER COMPOSITES HAVE BEEN USED AS BUILDING MATERIALS FOR MANY YEARS AND ARE SUCCESSFULLY USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MARINE VESSELS, AIRCRAFT, BUILDINGS, AND SPACE VEHICLES. PULTRUSION IS ONE WELL-KNOWN PROCESS THAT IS USED THROUGHOUT INDUSTRY TO MANUFACTURE COMPOSITES. COMPOSITES CAN BE REINFORCED WITH FIBERGLASS, CARBON, OR OTHER FIBERS TO CREATE HIGH STRENGTH, LIGHT WEIGHT, AND DAMAGE RESISTANT MATERIALS. THE PREDICTABLE HIGH STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPOSITES ALLOWS THIN SECTIONS WHICH ARE USED IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER MATERIALS, SUCH AS INSULATION OR SOUND BLOCKING MEDIUM, CREATING SANDWICH TYPE BUILDING MATERIAL. THE MATERIAL USED WITH COMPOSITES IS OFTEN MANUFACTURED THROUGH AN EXTRUSION PROCESS. THIS REQUIRES EXPENSIVE, LABOR INTENSIVE OPERATIONS TO CREATE THE FINAL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL FROM COMPOSITES AND EXTRUDED MATERIAL. RESEARCHERS ARE DEVELOPING A MANUFACTURING PROCESS THAT COMBINES PULTRUSION AND EXTRUSION PROCESSES INTO ONE OPERATION. THIS ELIMINATES THE EXPENSIVE, LABOR INTENSIVE OPERATION REQUIRED FOR FABRICATING TWO MATERIALS INTO THE COMBINED BUILDING MATERIAL. THIS RESEARCH CONCENTRATES ON CREATING AN EXTRUSION PROCESS THAT CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY BE UTILIZED AS PART OF THE PULTRUSION PROCESS. THE EXTRUDED MEMBER IS INTEGRAL TO THE PULTRUSION DIE AND ACTS AS THE MANDREL AS IT IS FORMED AHEAD OF THE PULTRUSION DIE. THE RESULT IS A BUILDING MATERIAL THAT HAS DUAL MATERIAL MAKEUP WITHOUT THE EXPENSIVE FABRICATION PROCESS.