Other Autoclave

[Brian_216]

Does anyone here have experience with autoclave curing composites? Im interested in learning more. I understand it is a pressure vessel with vacuum ports to still have your part under vacuum and apply positive pressure and heat to the part above and beyond the one atmosphere you can create in a traditional vacuum bag. I want more details from someone with first hand experience. I can only imagine the strength you could achieve vs infusion or wet layup. I wonder if NASA would rent theirs out lol.

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[OCD Solutions]

I am currently sitting about 100ft from a 15x50 but I have no experience with it other than troubleshooting it's controls.

The Boeing facility in Charleston boasts the largest in the world (30x75) and uses it to cure the CF tail sections of the 787. Not sure if it gives away any tips or not but it does go into the process a little bit. Not quite apples to oranges I know but still info.

I looked into a mini version for my garage but the pricetag was very prohibitive. Using an autoclave on some of the urethane I use, over doubles the structural strength of the product. Even just post curing with heat increases the strength. My bar mounts for instance sit in 250F for 16 hours to achieve about 80% of what is possible if cured in an autoclave.

I have 5 projects that I would love to bring to market so I am looking for a 2x2 to get started. Tiny compared to what you are looking for but the principles are all the same.

FYI, Most datasheets will list different structural properties dependent on method of curing.

 

[Brian_216]

I am currently sitting about 100ft from a 15x50 but I have no experience with it other than troubleshooting it's controls.

The Boeing facility in Charleston boasts the largest in the world (30x75) and uses it to cure the CF tail sections of the 787. Not sure if it gives away any tips or not but it does go into the process a little bit. Not quite apples to oranges I know but still info.

I looked into a mini version for my garage but the pricetag was very prohibitive. Using an autoclave on some of the urethane I use, over doubles the structural strength of the product. Even just post curing with heat increases the strength. My bar mounts for instance sit in 250F for 16 hours to achieve about 80% of what is possible if cured in an autoclave.

I have 5 projects that I would love to bring to market so I am looking for a 2x2 to get started. Tiny compared to what you are looking for but the principles are all the same.

FYI, Most datasheets will list different structural properties dependent on method of curing.

If anyone on here is, you are smart enough to build it.. find a pipe fitter and have them weld you up a small pressure vessel! Id love to do the same. Low pressure low heat though. Maybe 75 psi at 125 degrees. It wont require a serious tank. Id just run it outside behind 3 brick walls the first time. Oh and a bonus of low heat is you can just use compressed air rather than inert gasses to reduce the risk of fire inside. Simplified kind of. Just need temp ramp up / ramp down control and blowers to move the air. You will need co2 to lower the temp quickly on ramp down.

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[egbrig]

If you make the autoclave 36" in diameter so it can hold a hull, that means the door would only have to be able to withstand 38 tons of pressure @ 75psi. I guess any pipe fitter could design that. I think I'd hide a mile away while the thing is running.

 

[McDog]

You guys are nuts. Not worth it unless you do it right. Pipe fitter my @$$. Accident waiting to happen.

 

[MikeyB]

This is an unrelated topic but have any of you ever heard of RTM Lite? I've wondered if there would be a way to adapt this into a vertical hydraulic press.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I started off with a 1.5 gallon paint pressure pot. 2 stage rotary vac pump and a basic compressor set at 61psi. I didn't mess with adding heat to that equation and I ran several cycles "remotely" before I trusted the setup enough to run it in the garage.

You guys are nuts. Not worth it unless you do it right. Pipe fitter my @$$. Accident waiting to happen.

I agree, thankfully my application will allow me to purchase a small, off the shelf unit should I ever decide to venture that direction.

 

[Scraggly]

dental offices have small ones. might could find one going out of business or along those lines and save a few grand.

 

[yamanube]

Use a pressure cooker.

 

[Joker]

This may sound really dumb.

Can you find an air compressor tank and cut off one end and have someone fab on a door?? Those things are built to hold the amount of pressure your looking for.

 

[Proformance1]

dont forget about the explosive gasses that MAY be given off during curing. Heaters, tank, pressure, gasses. remember your safety training, heat, fuel, and an oxidizing agent (usually oxygen). Oxygen, fuel sorce, heat=boom at least look into the auto ignition temperature of the vapors off the epoxy and always use a safety factor of more that two. Not that i design explosion proof equipment or anything for a living.

 

[Brian_216]

Yea the compressor tank idea is good. A new un used 500 gallon propane cylinder is rated at 200 psi at 250 degrees. Buying an un used one then paying for the flange and getting a certified welder to do it will be costly not to mention having it re certified once its done. Building a curing oven seems a better route.

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[Brian_216]

dont forget about the explosive gasses that MAY be given off during curing. Heaters, tank, pressure, gasses. remember your safety training, heat, fuel, and an oxidizing agent (usually oxygen). Oxygen, fuel sorce, heat=boom at least look into the auto ignition temperature of the vapors off the epoxy and always use a safety factor of more that two. Not that i design explosion proof equipment or anything for a living.

Why do you think I brainstormed with you on it the other night??

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[kevbo]

Nearly all resins/adhesives contain volatiles that create porosity, this lowers compression and bending strength. Leaving vacuum on the part makes it a lot worse in some cases. It is better to cure with positive pressure with the bag vented, even if you can get only 10PSI. No need to worry too much about this for jetski parts, you can add a little extra material to make up for the loss in strength.

 

[102nd7]

Sounds like this guys really trying to corner the market. By offering the best product and the best service. I hate to tell you this Brian you already offer both.

 

[deftons56]

The company I work for invented a "boroclave" for making composite armor. Basically a press with a silicon bladder that can be pressurized to over 3000 psi with a heated platen/tooling. Here's a link to the general idea http://www.m9defense.com/largeboroclave

Here is a large press we made for Polaris that could probably do a few decks at once.


The wood form here was just for the bladder install.


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[DirtKurt]

Wow, the latching mechanism on that is incredible

 

[OCD Solutions]

You could do the entire years production in one run in this bad boy! The business end of this bad boy opens up inside the building.

 

[MikeyB]

This is an unrelated topic but have any of you ever heard of RTM Lite? I've wondered if there would be a way to adapt this into a vertical hydraulic press.

Eh eh?


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[Whale]

I think autoclaving jet ski parts /hull is way overkill. A well built infused hull would be enough.
We autoclave very few parts for our boats mainly rudders/daggerfoils.