Quickstep processing to control exothermic reaction during the manufacture of thick laminates

Abstract

The present research is based on the manufacturing of thick laminates using qualified, aerospace grade prepreg and liquid resin material. After optimising the cure cycle including control over the exothermic reaction, 30 and 50 mm thick laminates were manufactured from both the selected materials and analysed for manufacturability, exothermic reaction and laminate quality. During the curing cycle, temperature was monitored at different sections of the laminate, namely, top, middle and bottom. From the results obtained, it can be confirmed that, curing under the Quickstep processing conditions enables manufacturing thick laminates very rapidly and without the exothermic reaction. This saves tremendous amount of time and avoid wastage of large and costly components.