Acrolab supports the Filament Winding sector with multiple products and services. Most clients contact us for support with their filament winding applications because of the choice to either implement an oven for a specific new product build or because of thermal Filament Winding issues. We can work with your team to supply thermal management services and components for your Filament Winding applications.
Filament Winding Application Support Steps
- Obtain Client Constraints, Specifications, And Requirements
- Review Current Process And Mandrel Design
- Isomandrel Feasibility And Concept Design
- Design Concept Solution(s) And Supply Recommendations
- Customer Approval
- Design And Development
- Execute: Design, Build, Test
- Deliver & Support
How Can Acrolab Support You With Your Filament Winding Application?
Acrolab offers a complete set of services that you can select from below.
- Engineering: Isomandrel Design, Process Design, Thermal Solution(s)
- Heating: Band Heaters, Cartridge Heaters, Induction Heating System
- Cooling: Cooling System If Required
- Temperature Control: Thermocouples and RTDs
- Isomandrel: Move Heat At Super Sonic Speeds Using Isomandrel Technology
- Temperature Uniformity: Isomandrels Create Isothermal Conditions
- R&D Testing: Testing Comparison Of Current Mandrel Vs. Isomandrel
- Schematics: Process And Layout
- Curing: Heat, Cool or Cure While Winding!
- Temperature Control: Process Temperature Controllers
- Speed: Isomandrels can decrease cure times of up to 80% in some cases
- Soft Costs: Why Not just Heat Up The Mandrel Instead Of An Entire Oven
- Turn Key Solution: Design & Supply a Complete Isomandrel Heating/Cooling System
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Filament Winding Thermal Challenges that Acrolab can help solve
- Exothermic Reactions Cause Hot Spots
- Uneven Curing Due to Exothermic Resins
- Running Costs Due to Oven Efficiency (Heat Waste)
- Some Parts Require A Heated Mandrel During Wind
- Unknown Actual Cure Times Due To Inconsistent Curing
- Thick Walled Parts Cause Curing Issues
- Temperature uniformity
- Part Delamination And Warping
- Long Cure Times
- Oven Capacity And Space Constraints
- Oven Hot Spots And Uneven Curing
- Mandrel Designs Can Be Complex
- Some Applications Require Cooling Causes Multiple Challenges
- Multiple Thermal Cycles Do Not Allow For Multiple Parts In Most Ovens
Hot Spot Caused By Exothermic Reactions
Resins that are exothermic can cause hot spots in your parts and can become over cured . The challenge is that standard mandrels parts do not cure at the same time and so you end up with sections of a part that are already cured and other section not cured yet. Replacing the standard mandrel with a more conductive material or Acrolab’s Isomandrel technology will help solve this issue because standard mandrels are not reactive like an Acrolab Isomandrel. As a result standard mandrels can not move thermal energy quick enough to solve issues like exothermic hot spots.
- To tackle exothermic hot spots you should replace your mandrel material with a more conductive material , such as aluminum or an Acrolab Isomandrel.
- If you replace your current mandrel with an Acrolab Isomandrel any hot spots created by an exothermic reaction will passively (automatically) be redistributed to any lower temperature spots on the mandrel.
Heated Mandrel Requirement During Winding
Some processes require a heated mandrel during winding. This causes many challenges for processing parts due to this pre-cure heating requirement. Some clients utilize a preheating station or use radiant heating to solve the issue of having to heat the mandrel during winding.
- If you need to heat during your wind process or even want to cure while you wind Acrolab’s Isomandrel technology can do both. Two of the most typical methods are with either to use band heaters utilizing a slip ring, or use an induction heating system which is non-contact.
- The Isomandrel will take any heat energy applied to it and redistributes it at super sonic speeds to any lower temperature area along the Isomandrel.
