Metal spray Invar tooling for composites
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
ISSN: 0002-2667
Article publication date: 1 October 2000
Abstract
This work was performed within IMI Spray Mould, an EPSRC joint funded programme, aimed at developing a manufacturing route for large aerospace composite forming tooling, based on metal spray technologies. Assesses the mechanical properties of Invar steel coatings, deposited using electric arc spraying, and correlates these properties to the spray parameters and processes used so as to offer coatings with characteristics appropriate to the tooling requirements. In particular, two processing methods, inert and air atomisation, and three arc spray gun configurations (air cap design) are evaluated. The mechanical properties of the coatings are found to be low compared to bulk Invar, regardless of the spray parameters and hardware used. Inert arc spraying affords more consistent coating characteristics but this comes with a compromised durability. The spray hardware is found to be more significant in determining the coating properties than the parameters employed.
Keywords
Citation
Ian Wimpenny, D. and Gibbons, G.J. (2000), "Metal spray Invar tooling for composites", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 5, pp. 430-439. https://doi.org/10.1108/00022660010346866
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited