Case study - Wehl & Partner and IDEC
Case study
Wehl & Partner and IDEC: a composite preform tool in 60 hours
Germany and Spain · Aerospace composites · FDM (F900, ULTEM 1010 resin)
In a government-funded project, Spanish composite specialist IDEC explored Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) for a curved aircraft wing. German service provider Wehl & Partner printed the preform tool.
The challenge
RTM preform tools are usually made of aluminum or epoxy. IDEC needed a tool with more resistance to heat and pressure, made fast.
The solution
Wehl & Partner printed a large preform tool on a Stratasys F900 in ULTEM 1010 resin. The material met the mechanical requirements of the RTM process.
“Stratasys additive manufacturing enabled us to produce the preform tool in just 60 hours. With CNC machining, it would have taken at least four weeks to produce this type of part.”
The results
- Preform tool made in 60 hours instead of at least four weeks with CNC machining
- Composite heating stage reduced from one hour to ten minutes
- A faster composite molding process overall
Application: Composite layup tools
Light layup tools, molds and breakout mandrels in ULTEM 1010 resin, in hours or days instead of weeks or months.
More about molding & forming tools
Source: Stratasys Application Guide and Stratasys case material. Photo: Stratasys.
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