Issues That Should be Paid Attention to about RTM Molds

 

 

RTM Steel Mold

 

In the RTM process, the quality of mold design and production is directly related to product quality, production efficiency and mold life, so mold design and manufacturing technology is an extremely important link in the RTM process.

 

The basic requirements of the RTM process for molds are as follows:

• The shape and size accuracy of the product and the matching accuracy of the upper and lower molds, so that the product can reach the designed surface longitude;
• Sufficient rigidity and hardness;
• Reasonable position distribution of injection ports, outlet ports and risers (this is the most critical and most difficult point) to ensure that the resin can fill the mold cavity and discharge the gas in it;
• It can be heated and ensure the service life at a certain temperature, and no cracking and deformation will occur during use;
• Good sealing, reliable clamping and top opening of the upper and lower molds and product demolding devices;

 

Circular Vacuum Seal of RTM Mould

 

Moderate Cost

 

 

A CertainType of RTM Product

 

The above are just basic principles. In actual production, whether to add vacuum equipment, demoulding slope, product ejection equipment, etc. should be considered according to specific circumstances.

 

It should be noted that the design and manufacture of the mold can be said to directly determine the success or failure of the final composite product production. Of course, the composition and training of the mold design team is a long-term process. The design of composite molds and the design of metal material forming (such as aluminum stamping forming) molds have many differences, which need to be slowly figured out in the process of practice.

There is no fast and fixed standard for mold preparation and evaluation, and the guiding principles of molds used in different molding processes are also different. The following table is a summary of the influencing factors of mold evaluation indicators (applicable to any composite material molding process), for reference only.

 

Table 1 Influencing factors of mold evaluation indicators