To accomplish this, it is important to begin with a solid foundation material.  Very often this is wood, which allows for screwing and stapling.  Next, the speaker mounts need to be properly attached.  Orientation of the mounting surface is established for the speaker that will be used in the finished installation.

Fleece fabric material is one method that is used to span the surfaces and transition across the different areas.  This material allows for smooth transition, holds staples, is easy to work with, and is inexpensive.  Once it is in place it can be covered with resin and fiberglass to establish a solid surface.  This can be sanded smooth and painted for full effect.

WestCoastCustomsTV demonstrates how the fleece is applied in the video below:

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It looks to be very user friendly, and has some very interesting potential applications in the arena of adhesive application and repair for underwater environments.  No metering/measurement of the two parts is required, as they only require a kneading action to mix the two doughy components to uniform color.

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This project, like all concept cars, was well before its time.  They had some cutting-edge engineering that went into this vehicle to work towards several goals.

Reducing vehicle weight was important, so carbon fiber materials were utilized to decrease the weight of the body/chassis.  Efficient drive-train options were also developed, including the use of two-cycle engines and battery power.  Designing for great aerodynamics was also considered.

Many years have passed by, and some things were right on, some were not.  Aerodynamics have been improved.  Lighter weight materials have been used as composites have been working their way into vehicles, though it has been SMC/BMC reinforced with Fiberglass rather than Carbon Fiber.

Gull-wing doors have not been adopted for family cars, and I am not sure if I am disappointed or not.

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The video is sped up to quickly demonstrate the overall process required.  This  process requires a high level of attention to details, as they are very important.  Training and experience are necessary for good results.

Chemical adhesion between all of these layers will create a bond that is durable and suitable for restoring strength back to the structure.

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Many of these problems can be eliminated with the proper equipment.  I found a very interesting video of a fiberglass-reinforced epoxy resin block being cut using a water-cooled ring saw.  This saw is called the Revolution XT and it uses some neat technology to get a relatively quick and clean cut without making dust.  It looks like it would also allow some good freehand movement to cut curves and angles in composites parts.

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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.

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An advantage of using Soric as a core is that it flows resin very well for infusion.  It is easy to cut and handles well.

Disadvantages also abound.  One of them is the possibility of print-thru on the surface of the laminate.  Another is the negative effect on the structural properties of the laminate.  This non-woven material does not have much crush resistance such as a balsa or foam material.  A serious issue that I have found is the higher risk of delamination.  Like any core, this material works by separating the two skin layers to create a sort of “I beam” effect.  The problem is that this material is not inherently strong within itself.   Though it does become saturated with resin during a proper infusion, it is not nearly as strong as glass or carbon fiber reinforcement.

As the video demonstrates, a proper resin infusion can look easy.  With proper materials, practice, and knowledge it can be.

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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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TITAN Gas Transport

The tanks are require three basic parts to complete the engineering challenge.  An inner liner made of High Density Polyethylene provides an impermeable layer to hold the gas.  Next, a filament-wound composite shell made with epoxy and carbon fiber contains the pressure of the gas.  A Polyurethane coating on the outside of the tank protects from moisture and abrasion.

The system is designed for Natural Gas, Hydrogen, Argon, Helium, Nitrogen, etc.  Existing transport via semi truck is accomplished with large steel-tanked semi trucks that are heavy and prone to corrosion.  The TITAN composite solution allows for multiple transport options (rail, ship, semi) as well as lower tank weight.  The gas stored versus the tank weight is a huge advantage over steel tanks.

Lincoln Composites claims that traditional steel tanks hold 4000 SCM less CNG than the TITAN™ and weigh 16,000 kg more than the TITAN™ composite tanks.

For more information, check out the Titan page at Lincoln Composites.

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There of course are several ways to go about building a basic structure to use for the basic shape.  This video gave lots of good ideas and examples of materials that are relatively inexpensive.

The second part of the video shows some of the actual fiberglass work.  This video of less than eight minutes does not nearly do justice to the amount of work and effort that went into finishing this project!  It was great that the author documented his work and shared with all.  This was a major project that is not for the faint of heart.

He does a very good job explaining the process and materials used in this construction. Every project is unique, however. When discussing the thickness of the fiberglass skin, there are many variables that determine the finished strength. The number of layers to use is dependent on the amount of underlying support structures, part geometry, and required load bearing capacity of the structure. Some areas may need to be stronger for impact resistance and structural loads.

The video author discusses only using epoxy resin with Styrofoam as opposed to polyester resin which will react with the Styrofoam.  Polyester resin can be used if separated from the Styrofoam with an additional layer.  While I have only seen it advertised, there are new spray on primer materials available to cover the Styrofoam and allow polyester resins to be utilized afterward.

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