Autoclave Molding

The process of manufacturing parts by the autoclave method takes place at high pressure and temperature, which makes it possible to obtain products of high strength. The main development of autoclave technology was due to the use of carbon fiber structures in the aerospace sector and aircraft industry, due to the low weight and high physical and mechanical properties of the final products.

The pre-cut prepreg or multi-layer bag of carbon fiber prepreg is placed in a mold, to which, using a heat-resistant sealing tape, it is attached to a vacuum bag.

Due to the use of a vacuum pump in a vacuum bag, a vacuum is created and air inclusions are removed from the laminate. Next, the product is loaded into the autoclave on a special trolley moving along rails. Without turning off the vacuum, excess pressure is created in the autoclave and heated to the prepreg curing temperature.

The use of a vacuum pump allows you to minimize the porosity of the laminate, which guarantees the high quality of the final product. The use of autoclave technology makes it possible to produce large-sized products to which the highest quality requirements apply. This method is of little use for large-scale production and is more used in the production of small batches of high-quality products. The disadvantage of the autoclave method is the high cost of the autoclave itself, as well as the presence of manual labor, which requires highly qualified personnel.