McNAIR Center unveils Roctool induction-heated platen press installation

The McNAIR Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research at the University of South Carolina’s Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing has announced the installation and immediate availability of a large Roctool SA (Le Bourget-du-Lac, France) induction-heated platen press at its 42,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina.

The McNAIR Center serves as a multidisciplinary hub for advanced engineering and manufacturing, supporting aerospace, mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial and biomedical engineering initiatives. The facility enables service work, applied research, technology demonstrations and workforce development in partnership with industry and government stakeholders.

In collaboration with Roctool SA, the McNAIR Center has integrated the company’s induction heating technology into a 400-ton hydraulic press donated by White Horse Research and Development (Charlotte, N.C., U.S.). The press features a 1,219 × 1,320-millimeter platen area and is equipped with matching 150-kilowatt Roctool RIDS induction-heated platens measuring 762 × 1,016 millimeters.

The system enables rapid heating up to 427°C, supporting high-speed compression molding, rapid cure of thermoset composites and consolidation of thermoplastic composite (TPC) materials. The technology is designed to reduce cycle times, improve part quality and optimize energy usage compared to conventional heated platen systems. The system can also support Roctool’s patented 3iTech induction-integrated tooling for specific composite applications requiring advanced thermal control.

The press is fully integrated with comprehensive data acquisition and power monitoring systems, allowing real-time evaluation of processing parameters and energy inputs. This capability provides immediate feedback on how system inputs influence consolidation quality, cure rate and overall composite part performance — a critical feature for both research validation and production-scale development.

McNAIR expects the induction-heated press to play a significant role in next-generation aerospace manufacturing. Rapid compression molding of advanced composite materials has the potential to reduce energy consumption while enabling TPC manufacturing at near stamp-forming production rates.

The system’s modularity further expands its application potential. Flat plates can be exchanged for net-shape tooling to enable direct heat transfer to the part surface. Additionally, the induction platens can be removed and repurposed as heated tooling for out-of-autoclave consolidation or automated fiber placement (AFP) laydown processes. Optimized energy management strategies, including intelligent preheating cycles, support efficient consolidation and rapid part manufacturing.

The McNAIR Center is making the Roctool induction-heated press available to industry partners for:

• Workforce development and hands-on training.
• Contract manufacturing and technical services.
• Applied R&D.
• Process demonstration and validation.
• Advanced manufacturing scale-up initiatives.

By combining high-tonnage compression capability, rapid induction heating, modular tooling flexibility and advanced data monitoring, the McNAIR continues to expand its role as a national resource for advanced manufacturing innovation.

Industry partners interested in using the Roctool induction-heated press for service, research, development or workforce training are encouraged to contact the McNAIR Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research at the University of South Carolina or visit their website at sc.edu/mcnair.

Learn more about the McNAIR Center in “McNair Aerospace Center: Closing the composites education gap.”