Resin Infusion How To by Rock West Composites
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 พ.ค. 2024
- Need to infuse a part but lack the training? In this video John and Mike take a deep dive into illustrating how to make a composite carbon fiber plate. Without resin, all carbon fiber is is a very flexible, loosely woven fabric. In order to create a hard composite, you'll need the tips and tricks John provides in this in-depth how-to.
Have any questions you didn't get answered here? Drop them in the comments below! We will be completing more infusion projects in the future where we can also address your concerns.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Materials www.rockwestcomposites.com/sh...
01:47 Prepping the surface www.rockwestcomposites.com/sh...
03:14 Sealant tape www.rockwestcomposites.com/sh...
04:00 Material placement
04:25 Flow media www.rockwestcomposites.com/sh...
04:54 Spiral tubing & resin hub placement www.rockwestcomposites.com/sh...
05:56 Vacuum bag application
06:48 Bag pleats
08:30 Tube insertion
10:01 Vacuum test
12:33 Resin prep
15:05 Infusion prep & tips
15:56 Infusion
17:25 Debagging
18:10 Part removal
18:35 Final reveal
If this process is just a bit too daunting, we build these sheets in our facility in sizes up to 120" x 48" and offer for sale plates as small as 6"x6". www.rockwestcomposites.com/4x...
Veneers from 0.008" (0.2mm) to 0.016" (0.4mm) - bit.ly/3pvfJJw
Plates from 0.03" (0.7mm) to 1/8" (3mm) - bit.ly/3KjNuHD
Plates from 1/8" (3mm) to 1.00" (25.4mm) - bit.ly/3dJql5b - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I'm taking a composite course at my community college. I did the online portion a few weeks ago, and now I'm getting ready to start the in person lab part. I feel like this is a really good preview of what I'll go through! Very useful, thanks.
Also the genuine interest the helper is showing is really the best thing ever.
This is the best resin infusion tutorial I've seen.
Thank you!!
awesome thanks for sharing! keep them coming!
Nice job , perfect 👍
Room for improvement here. Place flow medium over spiral tube in order to avoid vacuum bag sucking itself down on it and restricting flow. Important for longer infusions. At outlet where the flow mesh ends, add strips of peel ply 10cm long spaced every 5cm, then the spiral tube at the end. This almost eliminates any resin into your resin trap.
Great idea for larger infusions! Thanks for the note!
Nice video. Thanks a lot from India.🤩
Good job 👌
I always thought pleats were really fun too!
Adding a Nomex core would have really stiffened that sheet up. Good information. Thanks
Great job done. Please can use the end product for construction of ceiling board?
That would be an epic ceiling tile. If you do it, please share pics!!
Thank you sir thank you
Nice video! I’ve never seen anybody infuse West System before... seems to have worked though. Learn something new every day!
That Compoflex lets you get away with no resin break at the vacuum side but for people using a mesh or shade cloth it is a great idea to leave a few inches of resin break between the flow media and the vacuum side spiral wrap. It will help the part fill and limit the resin flowing into the outlet hose.
Thanks for the comment! For our larger projects (when we infuse sheets up to 10 feet in length and or thicker laminates) we use a different resin system. This particular West systems works for small projects such as this BUT if you want bigger / longer pot life's and more strength other systems can be beneficial / needed.
Thanks ❤
You're welcome 😊
Cool tutorial. One question about when to stop the intake of epoxy and when to cut off vacuum. Is it possible to over saturate the cloth or does the bag pressure prevent that. Is there a "rule of thumb" to ensure a consistent resin to cloth ratio?
Generally speaking, it’s a good rule of thumb to close off the vacuum (outlet) tube as soon as the entire surface has resin. You can then close off the resin flow. At this point there will be a pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet. Closing off the vacuum and the resin will equalize the pressure and the vacuum side of the infusion will completely saturate with resin as the pressure equalizes. It makes everything easier if your resin line reaches the vacuum side all at the same time.
Why the resin flow is too slow, and in vaccum we do as max as it gets? Thank you, and perfect finish!
Thanks for the compliment! Speed of resin flow is determined by a few factors, most notably the viscosity of the resin system being infused (& ambient room temperature). Less really to do with max vacuum being pulled. One other factor that plays into it is the thickness of the part and the material type and fiber orientation you are infusing into.
Great video! I have a question I’ve been struggling witha while now… Is it possible to vac bag woven glass & have a part come out the mold with the A surface showing no pattern of the weave? I.e completely smooth face as if the part was pressed steel car panel
All the best from England!
Two answers: To visually hide the weave of fiberglass should not be too challenging however you may have to paint the surface so to hide any visual look of a woven underlayering of the glass depending on how broad the weave is you are using. If however you are speaking specifically to the texture OR smoothness to the touch (not visual) this is possible but likely only achieved if you are laying up on and infusing against a perfectly smooth surface to start, eg, and painted automotive surface, gel coated tool OR glass. We are able to get "A" surfaces when infusing against glass with no special post process at all.
@@RockWestComposites thank you for taking the time to answer my question I will implement your suggestions 👍🏻👏🏻
Hi, it was great🔥 Did you do the cooking operation using the ambient temperature?
west system is room temperature curing. the slow hardener used recommends no temp below 70ºF i believe.
Spot on @john! All of the infusion resins we currently have are room temp cure, generally this just means they take more time to reach a fully cured state.
@@j121212100 thanks for your comment
Very nice method.. how we can get clear matt finishing after infusion process?
Clear as in smooth or literally clear as in not opaque? If you deploy this exact process but on anodized aluminum, you can get a smooth but matte (semi-gloss) finish. OR if you wish to have a very matte / slightly textured surface you can grit blast the plate afterwards. ALSO, note that this plate if laid up and made in this methodology, the back side (opposite the glass surface) will have a peel ply OR textured matte surface by default.
Are the stretchier bagging films like air techs stretchlon 200 preferred, over the regular airtech nylon bagging material for bagging and carbon fiber skinning parts (car fenders, etc)?
The stretchier bagging films are great for complex / curvey shapes. One drawback to the stretchier films is that it is then recommended to use a tighter flow media because vacuum will stretch the bagging film into the gaps of the flow media during infusion thereby imprinting (possibly) dimples. Eg, you will see ever so slightly the surface finish of the flow media.
Hi, Nice Video. I am trying a similar experiment and have air entering into the inlet when I release the resin clamp. it lifts the bag up, or forms a huge bubble at inlet. Any suggestions ?
Sounds like you have trapped air in the line likely resulting from the inlet side not being evacuated completely PRIOR to clamping the line. Apologies for the delay, did you happen to sort this one out?
@@RockWestComposites in the way you did it, you introduced some air when opening up for the resin. why not put another clamp by the bucket of resin so the hose can be evacuated too?
18:31 sounds great!!!haaha
Nice job with resin infusion. I have never done that method, would scare me that the resin wouldn't make it all the way across the surface before starting to gel. One thing, I have never heard of tacky tape being called chromate tape. There is a chromate tape but it has nothing to do with composites and I wouldn't want to use it if I didn't absolutely have to!!!
There are specific resins designed for infusion that take some of the uncertainty out of infusion. They have a much lower viscosity for better flow, and they are also much longer pot life which ensures that it makes it across your part. Just keep in mind that laminate thickness will affect the flow rate of any infusion.
Sorry for the confusion on the tacky tape. Originally, the technical name for the tacky tape was "Zinc Chromate". Over the years it's been shortened to "chromate" in the industry. While technically incorrect, it can still be heard by some of the older professionals. Tacky Tape is a trade name for a specific brand of vacuum bag sealant tape. There are many brands and varieties of tape available, but keep in mind that some are made for specific processes or temperature ranges.
Are there holes in the sprial hoses on the edges or do they move the epoxy to the outsides and they just meet in the middle
The spiral wrap is in fact not really a hose at all, but rather a continuously wrapped strip of plastic that appears and takes the form of a round hose. This allows resin to travel quickly down the line but then seep out through slits at every 1/2" or so.
How to make sure that I have enough resin in the part ?
Is there ever a problem with air bubbles being stuck in the laminate when using this process? When you mix West resin it's full of air bubbles. Do they stay in the laminate?
Before the resin gets pulled into the laminate via vacuum, all the mixed resin gets degassed. This pulls all the mostly visible air bubbles out of the epoxy mixture. The dry materials that are under vacuum then in theory are void of any air and the epoxy that is being pulled through is as well creating a nearly air free laminate.
I have a question how would you avoid dry spots whenever you pull the mold off of it
Dry spots are usually caused by trapped air or lack of resin. Getting a good vacuum seal prior to infusion is crucial for eliminating air content. And in some cases leaving the vacuum on too long can starve the part of resin.
COOL'
What are the advantages of infusion over using pre preg materials?
That's a really good question. They both have great advantages and disadvantages, but in totally different areas. But in a nutshell, Prepreg is a very clean process that gives great and predictable results, but is expensive to buy and use (dedicated equipment, high operation costs, hi-temp tooling, materials have shelf life). With Resin infusion you get good results, cheap equipment, semi clean process, room temp tooling, very low operation cost, materials have longer room temp shelf life, but, it has a longer learning curve and the parts are generally heavier as they have a higher resin content (which also means less performance). It can also take some trial and error to get the resin to flow correctly on complex shaped parts. They both have their place, but which method you choose will be determined by the results that are required.
Can you use Rain-X or have you ever tried it
I've never tried it as a release agent, so you should proceed with caution. The biggest question is whether or not the resins will interact with it, or if heat changes it. As Rain-X is designed to be somewhat hydrophobic, it's designed to repel water, but how it interacts with other materials is unknown to me.
What are the parameters of the vacuum pump in your video, if you can know?
This particular vacuum pump is a 2 stage, 4CFM (cubic feet per minute) pump. It is capable of pulling full vacuum (at our altitude it can achieve 26 inHg). This portable pump is good for a single vacuum bag or multiple small vacuum bags. For a shop that has multiple ports and processes running simultaneously, you would need an industrial vacuum pump with an accumulation tank.
@@RockWestComposites Thank you for your response. Great movie!
What is the size of the hose you are using sir?
We use 3/8" ID spiral wrap tubing. www.rockwestcomposites.com/spiral-375. and we use 3/8" ID polytubing www.rockwestcomposites.com/polytube-375
Missed opportunity by not including links to all the products in the video description.
Great idea. Have added links in just now.
Thanks!@@RockWestComposites
What is the orange tube from the vacuum chamber?
That would be the vacuum line.. The means by which we are able to pull vacuum on the chamber (connecting the pump to the chamber).
@@RockWestComposites thanks
Given you only mixed ~1200 grams of fluid did you mean to say 100grams of extra resin and hardener, not 1000grams (1 kg)?
Actually that is accurate. There is a surprising amount of tubing or excess safety net you should account for so that you don't the part dry (eg suck air at all).
Untuk core busa Styrofoam berapa tekan fakum yang cocok kita gunakan pak?
Styrofoam sangat lunak, vakum penuh akan menghancurkannya. Gunakan memiliki tekanan vakum.
@@RockWestComposites kira kira berapa pak?
you need mavcoat release agent, way better than wax.
There are plenty of great release agents out there like including Chemlease, Frekote and more! We have never used Mavcoat but will look into that option as well. We encourage all to use what they prefer most. Wax is the easiest on the environment BUT not the highest performing OR best in terms of part finish once demolded ;-)
Wouldnt a sandwich panel be better?
It all depends on the application / end use! Sandwich panels can most certainly achieve higher stiffness per weight however some applications are not afforded the physical space of a plain, all carbon fiber plate OR there can be the case where the assembly at large would not directly benefit from the added cost of a sandwich panel. And for others that may read this post, check out our cheat sheet "Sandwich Panels 101" here for the simple math that explains just why one might in fact want to use a sandwich panel instead of a plate. www.rockwestcomposites.com/blog/why-you-should-be-using-sandwich-panels
Thanks for the tutorial. Only one question: what is the purpose of that pretty annoying and loud music?
Nice introduction to the basics. only comment: adding 1000 grammes or 2.2 pounds or 35 ounces for the wasted resin! cannot be right? you meant 100 grammes or 10%.
They're grams. Not grammes
At least they aren't grannies.
Yea they said the formula add 1kg resin. But how if we make just small composite?
Or micron a vacuum
why not use a flexible bag?
Flexible or stretch bag is ok if you need to conform to some troublesome features, but it can be difficult to use and my have leak issues. With infusion, the stretch can cause issues with the flow media by conforming too much to the media and not allowing the resin to flow as needed. It can also stretch in the opposite direction and not give as much compaction force while the resin is flowing, which in turn will slow the flow of resin through the bag. I always prefer non-stretch bag for every application. A well placed bag shouldn't require any stretch bag to conform to the features of the part.
Really the formula?
#Math.
@@RockWestComposites if we just make small composite still adding 1kg resin?
save the music for go pro action videos. every how to video does not need jams blaring so you can't hear the speakers.
th-cam.com/video/Tj-GZJhfBmI/w-d-xo.html 👌
Nice tutorial. What’s up with the music though? Big distraction.
Thanks! We are open to other options for free music if you happen to know of any :-).
Yea safety first when you put wax on a piece of glass lol
a pickguard for a guitar
That's a really cool application for infused plates!
Great video but why the heck did you pollute it with annoying unnecessary music-noise!? Just because someone else does it, doesn’t make it wise.
Because sometimes the other ambient noises are more annoying than music. If you have some original music that want us showcase, please contact us 😊 th-cam.com/video/Tj-GZJhfBmI/w-d-xo.html
Pretty difficult to listen to the guy on the right mumbling ánd blocking the elevator-music at the same time.
why the musik!!!!!
So you don't hear the farting.
Dead annoying music (why??) otherwise an interesting instruction!
Sadly Run the Jewels wouldn't license us the song we wanted to use so this is what we ended up with.
Wish the stupid music wasn’t ruining it.
If you have some royalty free music we can preview, we'd love to showcase you!
You just wasted 1/4 of your epoxy
Stay tuned for an updated infusion video that addresses this.
Painful
Well this is incredibly uninteresting.
And I hate brussel sprouts & kale.
@@RockWestComposites Well, you could make a mould from a brussel sprout and make a composite copy...or you could just ignore Avery😁