Ural Works of Civil Aviation (UZGA) has revealed details of the production of propeller blades manufactured using thermocompression molding technology. The company's engineers described the complete production cycle of parts – from cutting composite materials to forming a monolithic structure under the influence of temperature and pressure.
The technology allows for the production of blades with complex aerodynamic shapes from prepreg – a composite material already impregnated with a binder. Blanks are cut on automated cutting complexes, taking into account the fiber orientation in each layer, which ensures specified strength and resistance to loads.
Next, the layers are placed in a metal mold, where expanding foam material is placed inside the structure. When heated, it expands in volume and creates uniform pressure from inside the mold. During heat treatment at a temperature of about 130 degrees Celsius, the pressure reaches 2–3 atmospheres, which allows the composite structure to be compacted and internal voids to be eliminated.
After that, the mold is placed in an industrial oven or tooling with built-in heating channels is used. The process allows for the simultaneous production of dozens of products, maintaining the stability of geometry and strength characteristics.
The result is a solid composite blade with high strength and a homogeneous structure, suitable for use in various types of propellers.
Комментарии