Toolfusion 3 has a low initial cure temperature of 49 ºC and can be post cured to achieve a high glass transition temperature (Tg) of 218 ºC. Airtech says that void contents of less than 1% are achievable.
Toolfusion 3 will work in various resin transfer moulding (RTM) and vacuum assisted RTM (VARTM) processes to produce autoclave quality laminates.
According to Airtech, benefits of the new infusion resin include:
- resin infusion process delivers very high quality laminates with low manufacturing costs, no refrigeration costs, no autoclave running costs;
- low initial cure temperature for low thermal expansion effect during curing and ability to use low cost master model materials;
- nano technology delivers outstanding toughness and high Tg (218 ºC) for long tool life and reduced life cycle cost;
- low viscosity allows infusion of thicker and more complex laminates with fewer resin feed lines;
- in comparison to metallic tools, Toolfusion composite tools are lighter weight for easier manual handing;
- in comparison to metallic tooling, Toolfusion composite tools have faster heat up and cool down rates for reduced production costs;
- Toolfusion 3 composite tooling laminates have vacuum integrity for vacuum bag processing of parts in oven and autoclave.
The Airtech Advanced Materials Group manufactures vacuum bagging and tooling materials. It consists of: Airtech International Inc, Huntington Beach, California, USA; Airtech Europe Srl, Differdange, Luxembourg; Tygavac Advanced Materials Ltd., Rochdale, UK; and Airtech Asia Ltd, Tianjin, China.
