Volume
Composite Components
Press Tooling & Components
Owing to continued aerospace customer demand, we have broadened our composite manufacturing capabilities with the procurement of two Langzauner composite presses.
This means should we suffer equipment failure we can switch manufacturing to the duplicate machinery thereby minimising or eliminating disruption. The Langzauner Perfect Press gives us the capability to supply press tooling components up to 600mm x 800mm.
- Maximum Temperature 250°C centigrade (oil heated platens)
- 1300 kN Pressure capability
- Pressure, temperature and ram displacement can all be independently controlled
- Servo driven hydraulics (maximising energy efficiency)
- Fully programmable at the work station – for new parts/programmes
- Integrated sliding loading table
- Full digital cure traceability data logging
For simple press tooling components such as flat sheet processing and development projects we also have a third, more basic composite press on-site.
Our composite presses are utilised to produce complex aerospace composite press tooling components. The composite press moulding process enables faster cycle times which is better suited to volume production.
We have a dedicated production unit for manufacturing pressed components. Our modern facility is fully equipped with a dedicated pre-forming room and storage facilities for kitted prepreg and preforms.
We work closely with our material suppliers to ensure we remain at the forefront of composite press prepreg manufacturing. We can also offer “snap cure” prepregs, requiring very short press cure cycles.
- Volume production of structural components where applicable using multi-impression tooling
- Double “A” surface finish
- Short cure cycle (5-60 mins) versus autoclave curing (4-12 hrs)
- Minimised consumable materials (no bagging, breather etc).
- Fully automated pressing cycle ensures uniform performance every time.
- Fast turnaround, minimised trimming and fitting – often simple de-burring dependent upon complexity.
- Multi-stage/phase curing capabilities (insertion of specialist cores)
- Typically more durable (press moulds machined from aluminium or steel)
- High volume manufacturing (not suited to low volume/prototyping)
- Draft angles need careful consideration