Surface Generation reduces composite moulding times

Surface Generation breaks two-minute barrier for compression moulding cycles.

Surface Generation, a provider of carbon fibre processing technologies, has unveiled a compression moulding technology that dramatically improves throughput.

Surface Generation’s Multiplexing system has been developed to form fibre-reinforced plastic components in high-volume manufacturing environments. It uses a transfer process with a pressure containment cassette that allows mould faces and laminates to be held at predefined loads, even outside the press.

Mould faces are loaded into cassettes and passed through a series of material loading, preheating, moulding, cooling and demoulding stations, which precisely control the temperature and pressure applied. The use of multiple cassettes, preheating and cooling stations minimises time within the press and makes it possible to achieve Takt times of as low as one minute.

Surface Generation’s patented PtFS technology is central to the system, allowing temperatures to be dynamically controlled to the exact local requirements of each part.

Ben Halford, chief executive at Surface Generation, said: “This PtFS advancement transforms high-volume compression moulding. Traditional transfer processes use laminate preheating, with cold tools to speed production. With PtFS and Multiplexing the mould heats, stabilises and cools parts, allowing the press to open early and freeing this expensive bottleneck to run again.

“This approach allows multiple parts made from different materials to simultaneously flow down the same production line. PtFS sits at the heart of the production line, increasing precision, boosting throughput and reducing energy consumption for materials ranging from ABS to PEEK.”

Halford also said: “There are potential medical applications for Multiplexing that we are interested in exploring. Manufacturers of orthotics, for instance, could derive significant benefit.”

Surface Generation is planning a series of open days in the autumn for customers to see Multiplexing being used for thermoplastic compression moulding, along with PtFS in more conventional injection moulding and thermoset Out-of-Autoclave applications.