Manufacturing Large, Complex Composite Structures with Dry Fiber and Resin

Using real-life case studies of dry fiber layup with epoxy infusion and oven cures, Hawthorn Composites will show how complex, structural composite parts can be made quickly and less expensively than conventional prepreg composite parts with autoclave cures.

In one example, Hawthorn Composites is able to significantly reduce the cost and dramatically reduce the production cycle for two composite components for a green energy river generator. The first composite part is a curved, durable 18-foot-long foil that is fabricated using a combination of dry carbon fiber layup with resin transfer molding (RTM) epoxy resin and an oven cure. The foils function like paddles and have to sustain significant stress and impacts. The second composite part is a 1.5-inch-thick, fiberglass strut that is fabricated using dry, quasi-isotropic fiberglass with RTM epoxy resin and an oven cure. The struts are attached to the main shaft and three foils are attached to the struts.

In another example, Hawthorn Composites fabricates two halves of a flanged, structural composite fuselage using dry carbon fiber layup with vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) epoxy resin and an oven cure. The combination of materials and process allow the flanged fuselage to be made at an attractive, low cost and the flanges allow the fuselage to be populated and easily assembled into its final form.