The manual tool could be used by laminators to manufacture composite materials in industries such as aerospace, car and transport.
Processing aids and tools play an important part in the layup of composite reinforcements to complex geometries. However, despite being frequently used by many industries no in-depth study of these tools or how they are developed and applied has ever been carried out.
The student, Helene Jones from the Department of Aerospace Engineering, worked with experienced laminators to identify the relationship between the workers and their tools. This led to the development of a series of prototypes, and then a final design and build using a colourless organic thermoplastic polymer, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), to create the dibber.
Standardised process
The new tool allows for a range of geometries and forming techniques and early trial results with experienced commercial laminators have suggested that the dibber can drastically reduce time in a particular layup without negatively impacting on finished quality. The dibber also potentially allows for a more standardised process in design and manufacture, especially if it is incorporated into training. This could lead to a reduction in costs and improve production rates.
“Lamination is a highly skilled manual technique. It was important to understand why laminators create and use the tools they do,” said Helene Jones. “A standardised lamination process will be more successful if it is based on the needs of individual workers, the design, and the process of manufacture. This could lead to a more integrated design for manufacture and in skills training.”
Recently 200 dibbers were produced, using injection moulded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and examples distributed from the Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites(CIMComp) stand at the Advanced Engineering Show held at the NEC in Birmingham held last month (11-12 November). Feedback from companies and establishments who have been using the dibbers has been positive and the dibber has also had collaborative use in training demonstrations at the National Composites Centre (NCC).
“The benefits of working with the dibber are that trainees can quickly adopt consistent methods during courses with the specifically designed tool,” said Paul Shakspeare, head of training at the NCC. “This early competence is then able to be translated into the workplace using the same tool and techniques.”
