Method for making an article from a curable material
The present disclosure is directed at a method for making an article from a curable material, such as pliable fibre-reinforced polymer. The method includes printing a dissolvable, three dimensional substructure using a substructure material; applying the curable material to the substructure; curing the curable material while it is on the substructure; and dissolving the substructure using a dissolving agent. Using a 3D printer to print the substructure allows for faster and more economical manufacture of composite articles, such as prototype parts, relative to conventional methods that utilize CNC machines.
1. A method for making an article and a composite article, the method comprising:
(a) printing a dissolvable, three dimensional substructure using a substructure material;
(b) applying a curable material to the substructure;
(c) curing the curable material while it is on the substructure; and
(d) dissolving the substructure using a dissolving agent,
wherein the curable material comprises a pliable fibre-reinforced polymer, and wherein applying the curable material to the substructure comprises laying-up the fibre-reinforced polymer on the substructure,
wherein the article is a mold and further comprising, following dissolving the substructure using the dissolving agent, forming the composite article by:
(i) laying-up additional pliable fibre-reinforced polymer on the mold;
(ii) curing the additional fibre-reinforced polymer on the mold; and
(iii) separating the additional fibre-reinforced polymer from the mold.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the substructure material is selected to be dimensionally stable during curing of the curable material.
3. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein the substructure material is selected to have a compressive strength sufficiently high to prevent the substructure material from being crushed during curing of the curable material.
4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the substructure material is selected to have a decomposition temperature sufficiently high to prevent the substructure from commencing decomposition during curing of the curable material.
5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising:
(a) after laying-up and prior to curing the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold, applying pressure to the substructure and the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold; and
(b) after curing and prior to dissolving the substructure, ceasing to apply pressure to the substructure and the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein applying the pressure to the substructure and the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold comprises vacuum bagging the substructure and the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold.
7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 5 and 6 wherein applying the pressure to the substructure and the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold further comprises placing the substructure and the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold in an autoclave, and pressurizing the autoclave.
8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 and 5 to 7 wherein laying-up the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold comprises laying pre-impregnated fibre plies on to the substructure.
9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 and 5 to 7 wherein laying-up the fibre-reinforced polymer used to make the mold comprises performing a wet lay-up of fibre plies.
10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 and 5 to 9 wherein the substructure material comprises plaster.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the substructure material has a decomposition temperature of at least approximately 250° F. (121° C.).
12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the substructure material has a decomposition temperature of up to approximately 390° F. (199° C.).
13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the substructure material is dimensionally stable on a macroscopic scale when subjected to a temperature up to the decomposition temperature.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the substructure material is dimensionally stable on a macroscopic scale up to a temperature of at least approximately 360° F. (182° C.).
15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 and 5 to 10 wherein printing the substructure comprises including channels in the substructure shaped to facilitate distribution of the dissolving agent throughout the substructure.
16. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
(a) prior to laying-up the additional fibre-reinforced polymer on the mold, forming a rubber mat using the mold;
(b) following laying-up the additional fibre-reinforced polymer on the mold and prior to separating the additional fibre-reinforced polymer from the mold, placing the rubber mat on to the additional fibre-reinforced polymer; and
(c) following curing the additional fibre-reinforced polymer and prior to separating the additional fibre-reinforced polymer from the mold, removing the rubber mat from the additional fibre-reinforced polymer.