AMT Composites stocks a range of materials suitable for making tooling. The tool is typically the plug, or master pattern, and the mould is then taken off the plug. The product is made in the mould.
Often the starting point for high accuracy plug or even the tool itself is machinable polyurethane tooling board such as Necumer’s Necuron range of tooling board. Some of the diverse tooling materials used in the manufacturing of composites structures include invar, steel, aluminium, reinforced silicone rubber, nickel, glass fibre and carbon fibre.
The selection of the most appropriate tooling material is typically based on, but not limited to, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the tool compared to the part, the expected number of cycles, product tolerances, the desired surface condition, method of cure, glass transition temperature of the material being moulded, moulding method, matrix, cost and a variety of other considerations.
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