Filament Winder

[RiNaZ]

hey guys, im working for a prof. in my aerospace dept. He told me to work on a rocket solid booster tank. And i know you guys are more motorsport oriented, but i was wondering if you guys can help me out.

My prof wanted me to wind a filament around a PVC and then cure it in an oven around 140 degrees for 2 days. Then i can take out the filament out of the PVC.

The problem is, the lab manager of the composite lab wouldnt let me cure the filament and the PVC in the oven. The fume from heating up the PVC is very toxic according to the lab manager.

So i have to find a way of winding up the filamet around a tube, be able to cure it in an oven, and be soft enough that by the time it is cured, i can release the filament out of the tube.

You guys have any idea on what material i can use? My friend suggested a drawing tube (tubes that you put your drawings in) that is made out of cardboards. But i would think it will be burnt up just like regular papers.

Any ideas?

[RiNaZ]

hey guys, im working for a prof. in my aerospace dept. He told me to work on a rocket solid booster tank. And i know you guys are more motorsport oriented, but i was wondering if you guys can help me out.

My prof wanted me to wind a filament around a PVC and then cure it in an oven around 140 degrees for 2 days. Then i can take out the filament out of the PVC.

The problem is, the lab manager of the composite lab wouldnt let me cure the filament and the PVC in the oven. The fume from heating up the PVC is very toxic according to the lab manager.

So i have to find a way of winding up the filamet around a tube, be able to cure it in an oven, and be soft enough that by the time it is cured, i can release the filament out of the tube.

You guys have any idea on what material i can use? My friend suggested a drawing tube (tubes that you put your drawings in) that is made out of cardboards. But i would think it will be burnt up just like regular papers.

Any ideas?

[EliseS2]

I have seen the cardboard work. It was actually a amatuer rocket. They used the cardboard and they soaked the cardboard to get it out.

[RiNaZ]

hey elise, thanks. Never thought of that. I was just thinking about cutting the tube in half and leave like a small gap. So when im done curing, i could just twist the tube and it will collapse, subsequently, easy to take out. But soaking it is not a bad idea. Thanks a lot!

[Ryan Schoffer]

maybe a metal tube with some kind of mold release material (mold release for fiberglass comes to mind)

[RiNaZ]

I dont understand what you mean ryan. You're saying i should use metal ... and have a foam inside of the metal tube?

[Marc Jaxa-Rozen]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>You're saying i should use metal ... and have a foam inside of the metal tube? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you need a reusable mold you could try aluminium or steel tubing...an easy way for release would be to thread two halves of round stock together, with allowances for a pipe wrench to unscrew them. It worked okay (minus the wrench grips) for our restrictor mold. That was using a conventional layup, but I don't think mold construction would differ for filament winding.

Marc
École Nationale d'Aérotechnique

[Ryan Schoffer]

yeah, that was my idea - that is how we made our restrictor and runner moulds

[Mi_Ko]

If the part isn't to big (and you need only one mold) you could use a special water dissolvable material.

[RiNaZ]

hey thanks guys. I'll definitely try that method if the cardboard tube that im working on doesnt work.

[Brent Howard]

If you want to take it out fairly easily, using a metal tube, lay it up on the metal when hot, then put it in the freezer once it comes out of the oven. Also use some PVA mould release on it. Our intake was made in this manner ant it worked really well and gave a great inner surface finish.

Brent