Tooling for Composites

This course is designed for the student who is interested in designing or building tooling for composites. The course assumes that the attendee has some experience with composite materials or has previously attended the "Introduction to Composites" course as a prerequisite. In this course we explore the many types tools used for manufacturing composite panels (and assemblies), as well as those used in the fabrication of the tools themselves. A thorough examination of tooling materials and properties is addressed.

• Types of tools, tool designations, and tool-function
• Prototype Vs rate-production tooling
• Model requirements and limitations: virtual (CAD) Vs physical models
• Fundamentals of tool design: meeting application and service requirements
• Composite Vs metal molds and fixtures: pros and cons
• Tooling materials/material properties and characteristics
• Fabricating composite tool-laminates: materials, methods, and tricks of the trade
• Tool proofing and thermal mapping/categorization
• Tool maintenance and repair requirements
• Initial tool-surface preparation and semi-permanent release agents