Thank you so much for this video. This is the first time I've seen using a hollow silicone plug to apply pressure during heating. This is the perfect solution for a project I'm working on and I've been trying to figure out a good way to make repeatable results, as I have to make multiples of the same part for the project.
This process is very typical in carbon bicycle manufacturing. often are either latex or silicone bladders that either expand under vacuum or are pumped to a specific pressure or both.
It's an interesting idea to use the natural expansion of the silicone. I was expecting you to inflate it with compressed air like a bladder. Does the final part have a purpose, or is it just a proof of concept for this mold system?
Excellent work, very impressive. You might find Argonaut Cycles interesting. They also use Silicon Mandrels. I like how you have used resin to reinforce the mould.👌
Some interesting ideas in that. Thanks. I'll upload a new video on a wingfoil build with a 3d printed core soon as well. Printing and carbon fits so well. Keep it up
This is awesome! And for once, a tutorial that's not just a repeat of easy composites tutorials! Very smart use of silicone, me likey! What are you going to use those tubes for?
Very inspiring and informative video! Thanks a lot for sharing this process, very cool low budget hollow parts :) I would suggest to apply a quick vacuum on the hollow part of the silikone, maybe that makes removal easier
Great to see another committed crafter Mathieu. Interesting seeing your aluminium fill strengthening. I've been printing for wing-foiling, from this year I print the wing model, extend a membrane of tape from the edges and after applying mould release I resin infuse two sides of shell moulds in one go. I only use around 4 layers of thick glass composites per side so there is some flexibility for my big wing moulds. After cleaning up surfaces and mould release again I lay carbon and epoxy into my moulds and clamp all around the edges after fixing locator screws. Amazing results, I'm finding laying impregnated chopped carbon around any sharp edges helps to exclude the sharp bends that otherwise encourage bubbles. Because from this year I'm doing relatively thin, high performance hydrofoils there's very little low density core material in them, but your point about thermal expansion is interesting, It must account for a part of the resin leakage I get as my parts exotherm cure and the cores out-gas, pushing resin to the perimeter. I did some wings with 3D printed cores 2020, 2021, printing with double thickness infill walls in cubic is the ideal but the thickness of the laminate makes design accuracy hard to achieve and gives inferior leading edge strength on the flat composite fibers bond surface, even with resin infusion.
Thanks for your comment! sounds good what you are doing! I have resin infusion on printed mould on the planning as well for tutorials later on when I find the time :D
@@MatthieuLibeert I have been doing 3D printing 11 years now. I subtract shear planes and dowel holes from my wing designs and print them leading edge down into supports now after splitting the meshes in prussaslicer and rotating them for nearest orientation to build plate. I am close to finishing my 6'th mould this year. but I've also done a little bit of carbon forging, foundry, software, hardware design, and RC jetboat jet unit design, maths art vases. Fluidity on thingiverse and pin shape though I only put the beginner models on those.
@@MatthieuLibeert thank you man! I will come back to you in some month when I will use this tutorial on my videos (not on this Channel haha) and obviously I will enjoy to mention your name ;) that’s for a specific project you will like I’m suuuure!
Amazing... Thank you for using professional language too (registration keys, intensifier etc), it's useful to know if you want to get into some discussions about some project with other professionals:)
1) loved it! 2) to what temperature is the oven set? are you not worried about the plastic mold warping from the hi heat? 3) what material did you use to polish the pla?
1) Thanks :D 2) Temp up to 80°C so far for the mould, parts were cured at 40°C with the resin. Warping is prevented by the Casting resin. 3) NW1 Super Cutting Compound Black, Bought on Easycomposites
I recently made a silicone intensifier for a 3D printed mold, and the intensifier ended up stuck in the mold, due to my lack of experience in the design and application. It was refreshing to see your experience at work. I'm also envious of your workshop! I'm currently working in a very tiny space. What mold release do you use?
Interesting method. would there be any benefit in putting some sort of controllable heating element in the Aluminium tube to maybe heat the core more and increase expansion/compression from the inside out?
Love this technique. Very diy friendly too. Any idea on how you might use the same method on a bent shape? Perhaps larger diameter tube down the centre and maybe an inflatable bladder down the middle that can be pressurised?
@@MatthieuLibeert No problem at all. Always happy to support my fellow content creators. I am looking forward to improving on my own current video format I have uploaded and, in the future, trying to create content as good as yours in the long term.
Excellent work ..... I have one question, Why were you using a side plate to hold the Molds together? Can we use a feature in the moulds itself to hold them together like some loaded fasteners using spring washers or something? I understand the side plate will be needed anyway ..but the method which I am proposing can give better results, right?
what was the PLA you used - just getting into 3D printing and like the PLA results, over PET G, but might need to try a more robust filament at some point.....cool presentation as usual Mat2
Hello, I'm new to this, so I'm interested in how you modulate the female and male parts in the 3d program to get the correct measurements?Do you maybe use 3d scenner?
Thanks for uploading this great content 👍🏽 I've also tried 3D printed PLA Moulds but had some issues with demolding. I've tried the PVA and Chemical release but everything wasn't perfect. Do you have trouble with that?
It's OK for small runs, but wouldn't use this technique for bigger series as these moulds tend to suffer... The chemical release was ok so far here! Pva would be a bit less reliable I think personally
When first making the resin molds(around 2:10) is it necessary, or recommended, to let the part set in a vacuum chamber for added strength and/or stability??? I’ve had terrible luck at work when certain subcontractors get lazy/cheap, and deliver parts with a lot of dissolved air (& moisture?) in the cast parts.
Do you think it would be possible, to make the outer mould pieces and the inner core out of milled aluminium. Since Aluminium got quite a high thermal expansion it should also get some pressure on the carbon fibre. Of course it depends on the size of the inner core. The more volume the greater the expansion. Never saw this with the silicone but very clever idea. Keep up the good work.
Outer mould is normally made out of aluminium but 3d printing is more affordable, that's why it's a 3d printed mould here for this video, but for larger runs I would normally use an aluminium mould... Care should be taken with an aluminium inner mould to make sure you can still remove it after cure
@@MatthieuLibeert Yeah a stiff inner core is only possible if you got an draft angle,no corners and no undercuts. Also a good plus on flexible silicone
True! Will be mentioned in the video coming online later today. I wouldn't paint a car with that, would mainly go for a 2K then. But wanted to keep it DIY without scaring people that they would need a spraygun. Will do a seperate video on that topic later
In my old company we made the mclaren monoque. It is rtm and have used airballons instead of bag or silicone. High pressure inside. Do you know that System?
You’ll need really strong moulds for this process. I haven’t seen anyone do it with moulds that aren’t metal, because your basically pushing the two mould halves apart. I’m currently looking into making a hollow composite part (similar to the one in this video) using the rtm technique and printed moulds, but instead of balloons i’m going to use a soluble 3d printed core.
@@sanderhuybrechts Yeah above all you need High pressure resin, vacuum in the mould enclosure and high pressure in the air ballons... that's another deal
@@Jpifr I’ve seen it done using sort of paint pressure chamber with an injection pressure around 3bar, although slow it’s possible. Do you think moulds like the one in this video will be able to hold up at this pressure?
Geweldig idee Matt met het alu buisje in het midden. Als je het uit trek is er veel druk meg van de silicone. Vraagje, heb je dit gewoon gedaan als test of dient dat buisje ergens voor???
I looked through the comments and didn't see this, So I'll ask: Do you have any deformation from baking the 3d print after filling with epoxy? obviously the epoxy strengthens it, but do you get surface variations?
Hehehehe... Vaseline... I'm gonna say it. I'M GONNA SAY IT!! Vaseline is in fact a very interesting and versatile substance for uses outside of it's intended purpose. It is an excellent lubricant for more volatile plastics.
Fantastic video, I've been working on a similar problem for a while and the silicone intensifier makes so much sense. For the Tool Cast resin do you think this could be substituted with say concrete? Sadly I'm on the other side of the world to Easy Composites and our local stores don't seem to have an equivalent (best I can find is casting resin for epoxy river tables).
might work with other materials, so concrete might work but not ideal...you might experiment with filling regular epoxy with fillers as well to prefill your resin yourself
Hello Matthieu, thank you soo much for your videos, sorry for my english, I've a question: in this case that isn't prepreg how you manage the excess resin ? I supposed that you put a peelply and breather between silicone form and carbon fiber, instead you put nothing. The resin goes away from the open passages ?
No peelply, just need to add the right amount of resin, not too much and not to little, the pressure of the core will push out some excess resin if needed, the rest stays in the Carbonfiber
Hi, Thank you! I've bought it on a dutch website called "polyestershoppen.nl" you might find something similar closer to you, look for a "shore 15 platinum cure or additional cure silicone"
No, In general it's not adviced to apply release agent (specialy not the chemical release agent) on silicone as it might deteriorate or harm the releasing properties of the silicone, now and then you can apply silicone oil to restore your silicone.
I understand that the glass transition temperature of PLA is around 60°C. What temperature did you use to cure the epoxy mould infill and then the carbon laminate?
It can now withstand up to 80c...the casting resin now functions as a support for the pla, making it possible for higher temperatures. Might even reach higher temps, I'll do some more research on that...
Like grate video Like allot of Like knowledge Like is Like contained in it Like..... :D sirius now grate job thank you so much i will use this knowledge in next project .
@@MatthieuLibeert Im really sorry to impose Like this it take me allot ow will power to ignore things Like this and not throw computer out the window. I might need to get checked...:D PS. Your work is breath taking i can only hope that one day i will be able do anything remotely comparable to your work... Thank You...
I am sorry I think I have a burning stupid question to ask. Complete newbie. How does the wet carbon have room to be put into a mold? You did not remove any material from the silicone core or the plastic mold after you had made the silicone core. I understand the carbon is a few millimeters thick but still wouldn't that prevent the mold from being put back together? Also, loved the video it has just opened my eyes to a whole new world of carbon parts making. Thank you very much.