RESIN APPLICATOR RING FOR MANUFACTURE OF LIGHTWEIGHT HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAIDED COMPOSITE PARTS

BRADIDING MACHINERY CAN BE ADAPTED TO PRODUCE LOW COST, HIGH PERMANCE COMPOSITE PARTS. FIBER IMPREGNATION HAD BEEN A LIMITING FACTOR IN THE USEFULNESS OF BRAIDING. PREIMPREGNATED FIBERS ARE EXPENSIVE AND BRAID POORLY BECAUSE OF THE RESIN TACK. THE PROPOSED RESIN APPLICATOR RING WILL PROVID CONTINUOUS IMPREGNATION WITH LOW COST I LIQUID RESINS DURING ABRAIDING WITH NO REDUCTION OF BRAIDING SPEED AND NO LIMITATIONS IN PART GEMETRY. COSE SAVINGS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 12-32 PERCENT COMPARED TO PARTS MADE WITH PREIMPRENATED YARNS. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS MAY INCLUDE GREATER VERSTILITY LOWER TOOLING COSTS, SIMPLER CURE CYCLES, AND SHORTER LEAD TIMES. THE PURPOSES OF THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL ARE TO OBTAIN EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION OF THE APPLICATOR RING CONCEPT. TO DEVELOP A SIMPLE COMPUTER PROGRAM TO FACILITATE PRODUCITION USING THE APPLICATOR RING, AND TO COMPILE NEEDED DATA ON AVAILABLE RESINS AND FIBERS.