Tooling for Composites

Question 1

What is required of the tooling?

Answer 1

support weight of the part; maintain structural integrity and dimensional stability following multiple
heating and cooling cycles; sustain handling loads; able to achieve a specified temperature at a specified
rate; accommodate fabrication process

Question 2

What decisions must be made regarding selection of tooling?

Answer 2

male or female - which face of part should be tool surface; tooling materials;

Question 3

What are the Material types used for creating tooling?

Answer 3

Machined Metal, Composite, Metal-coated Composite

Question 4

What issues must be considered in the selection of tooling material?

Answer 4

Life (number of cycles, chip/flake out, clean-up); Cost (Labor, Lead Time, Materials, nonrecurring and
recurring;
Most Important - heat transfer capability, heat up and cool down times, ability to control tool
temperature, thermal characteristics of tooling materials.

Question 5

What are the differences between “hard” and “soft” tooling?

Answer 5

hard tooling (Milled Steel, Ni-vapor Deposit) - many cycles, higher cost, CTE Matching
soft tooling (Silicones, Urethanes) - fewer cycles, difficult to maintain tight tolerances, lower cost

Question 6

What is the most important parameter in creating a precision, tight-tolerance tooling?

Answer 6

Respective Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (along with thermal heat capacity, conductivity, radiant)

Question 7

What aspects of the tooling must be addressed?

Answer 7

Negative drafted features of part, multi-segmented mold, CTE Mismatch, method of extracting,