The trend to use advanced composites require automate manufacturing solutions with Synthesites intelligent monitoring systems that can provide valuable information about the manufacturing process offering the means to fully automate the production.

Synthesites monitoring systems can be used in all stages of process development and manufacturing to provide important insidght and feedback to the engineers, operators or to the automation systems.

In the development stage, flexible and durable sensors can be easily introduced at various locations into the cavity to:

1. Study the resin flow and its repeatability
2. Optimise the filling pattern
3. Calculate the permeability tensor necessary for accurate filling simulations especially for thick or complex components
4. Check the filling and optimise the mould temperature
5. Monitor the cure and optimise the mould temperature
6. Define process milestones using the sensors in order to use them at production

(5 and 6 refer also to manufacturing with prepregs)

At production stage, the use of permanent sensors can:

1. Ensure that the resin (neat or in prepregs) meets the quality standards (mixing ratio or thermal ageing) before the start of the process
2. Control the mould filling by opening and/or closing the appropriate gates
3. Monitor the cure and open the press accordingly
4. Prove repeatability and provide online part quality certification
5. Monitor many important parameters for process traceability
6. Calculate process parameters for quality control purposes

(1, 3 to 6 refer also to manufacturing with prepregs)

Relevant publications

M. Etchells, N.Pantelelis and C. Lira, CURE MONITORING OF HIGHLY REACTIVE RESIN DURING HIGH-PRESSURE COMPRESSION RESIN TRANSFER MOULDING, ECCM18 - 18th European Conference on Composite Material, Athens, Greece, 24-28 June 2018.

Applied process monitoring and control for liquid composites moulding, Nikos Pantelelis, Gilles Nedelec, 7th International Symposium on RTM and Infusion, 9-10 February 2011, Saint-Avold, France.

A.Tontisakis, N.Pantelelis and E.Bistekos, R.Hein, T.Wille, K.Gabtni, J-P.Dias, Towards the intelligent RTM system, CAMX Conference, Anaheim, 2016

AUTOMATING RESIN TRANSFER MOULDING, Cristian Lira, Miles Holt, David Fishpool, Ioannis Papasideris and Nikos Pantelelis, SAMPE Europe Conference 2017, Stuttgart, Germany.