Composite material is laid into or onto a mold by hand. Fiber orientation is dependent upon the accuracy of the technician doing the lay-up. This process can use a dry fiber preform, which is then wet-out during the layup, or may use prepreg materials. Once the composite material is laid into the mold it is usually vacuum bagged and then oven or autoclave cured.
Some things to consider when deciding whether or not to use a hand lay-up process:
Virtually no limitations on geometric features.
Fiber angles anywhere between 0 and 90 degrees are possible.
Tooling surface typically limited to only one side of the component.
Ability Composites, a composite manufacturer located in Colorado, has highly skilled composite technicians to perform all hand lay-ups. Past projects include fiberglass radomes, carbon fiber tubes, carbon fiber fairings, fiberglass antennas, and carbon fiber plenums. Feel free to contact us if we can provide you with the customer composite part you need.