Auto Racing Composites
Roush Racing takes us viewers on a tour through their composites shop in a short clip from Roush TV.
Using mostly carbon fiber and kevlar reinforcements, Roush Racing fabricates many different components for the racing industry using epoxy resin systems. Ranging from the front noses for the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow car to drag racecar bodies and small ductwork, Roush Racing’s composites shop does all sorts of fabrication.
The race shop includes two different fabrication processes. Wet layup vacuum bagging is used for some parts, while others are made using prepreg material that goes into an autoclave.
The video tour is well done, and includes everything from the Eastman material cutter to the fabrication process, bagging process, and trim. We also get to see some of the finished parts after they are demolded and trimmed.
These parts are very expensive to manufacture, due to the high cost of materials and labor. Tooling and equipment costs for this type of process are somewhat reasonable, with the exception of the autoclave and the automated cutting table. Composites fabrication of this caliber is labor intensive, but can produce very unique parts that are lightweight and strong.
NASA Composite Crew Module
NASA, the space agency for the U.S. government, has investigated the use of advanced composites for use in future vehicle programs. The Composite Crew Module (CCM) has been designed and built as a travel vehicle for astronauts in future space programs to travel. Drawing parallels to the Apollo program, this module will be launched on a rocket and break away as a module.
This technology and material are undergoing testing and evaluation before it is officially accepted for the Orion program. As a partnership between government agencies and public companies, this technology aims to reduce weight and improve performance of the manned vehicles.
From NASA’s website “Led by the NESC, the project team is a partnership between NASA and industry, including design, manufacturing, and tooling expertise. Partners are civil servants from nine NASA Centers – ARC, DFRC, GRC, GSFC, JSC, JPL, KSC, LaRC, and MSFC; the Air Force Research Laboratories; and contractors from Alcore, Alliant Techsystems, Bally Ribbon Mills, Collier Corporation, Genesis Engineering, Janicki Industries, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The CCM team operates in a virtual environment, electronically connecting participants across the country.”
This full-scale structure has strain gauges attached to monitor loads on the structure. It was announced on January 25 that it has passed a battery of stress tests to prove viability.
The structure appears to be made with carbon fiber materials, maybe with some graphite reinforcement and an epoxy resin system. Mention of aluminum honeycomb can be found in the online reading materials. The main pieces are autoclaved, while bonding of the large sections (upper and lower shells) is accomplished outside of the autoclave.
Composites technology is being developed for future space exploration structures and vehicles, and this is good news for the composites industry!
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