FOR AUTO RTM

WORK IN PROGRESS
they could do further fit-and-finish work and testing. That’s how
quick and cost-effective this tooling process can be.” He’s also used
the technology to make tools to mold composite parts for concrete
forms, architectural panels and other automotive parts.
Tools in minutes, not months
Van Ert says he currently can make a 1.4m 2 tool in roughly 5 to 15
minutes that can produce at least 50 parts. Eventually he hopes to
be able to drive the tool production time down to between 2 and
10 minutes. He
acknowledges
Eventually, Van Ert hopes
to be able to drive tool
production time down to
between 2 and 10 minutes.
that because
he’s currently not
putting cooling
lines in FPT tools,
that cycle times will
be slower (on the
order of 4 to 5 minutes
instead of 1 to 2 minutes).
However, he contends that the speed and low cost makes these
tools perfect for short production runs.
Although the tool’s films typically must be discarded every
third or fourth time he remakes a tool, and each time a tool is
disassembled, some powder is lost to spillage, Van Ert says that
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95% of the materials
used to make a given
tool can be reused. FPT
tooling is reportedly so
fast and so cost-effective,
Van Ert claims a molder could literally make a new tool every
morning to produce the day’s inventory.
Although he’s still awaiting initial patent protection, Van Ert
already has a lot of plans for FPT technology. He’s not only investigating
ways to add cooling and heating lines to tools, to either
freeze off thermoplastic parts or cross-link thermoset boards in a
shorter molding cycle, but he also wants to see if he can cast thermosets
in the DPM process, most likely using low-viscosity resins.
Right now, FPT is undergoing field testing to make molds for
a variety of parts so Van Ert can get a good sense of just what the
technology can do, and he’s conducting demos of FPT and DPM for
interested parties from around the world.
Contributing writer Peggy Malnati covers the automotive and
infrastructure beats for CW and provides communications
services for plastics- and composites-industry clients.
peggy@compositesworld.com
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