Curved reinforced plastics tubes - prepreg is wound on straight tubular mandrel and cured in curved mould cavity (NL 1.6.82)

摘要

Tube lengths with one or more bends are produced by winding a fabric of glass or carbon fibres etc. impregnated with polyester, epoxide or other thermosetting resins round a tubular mandrel; the fabric is wound onto a straight mandrel and the whole assembly is then cured in a mould of suitable shape. The tube is mounted on a rod mandrel and rotated, the impregnated material is wound on. The core mandrel is withdrawn, leaving the winding on a central tube. The figure shows the winding on the tube, laid in the circular section curved cavity between an upper and lower mould tool. After curing the winding, the mould is opened and the tube is withdrawn from it. To shorten the cure time, hot water at 70 deg.C is passed through the tube while the assembly is in the mould. Low cost process without using lost core method.