The Light Aeronautics division offers a wide range of products that include structural fabrics, industrial paints and small boats manufacturing equipment. The Composites division supplies vacuum forming materials for applications such as vacuum forming, vacuum infusion and RTM – Light technology.

Technologies for the production of composite products:

- Vacuum forming is the production of products from thermoplastic materials in hot form by vacuum or low air pressure.

Vacuum forming is the "compacting" of the reinforcing material under the film, impregnated with resin by hand on the matrix.

Auxiliary materials help to remove air and excess resin from the laminate. Subsequently, the product is cured in an oven or autoclave.

- Sequence of laying out materials:

- vacuum infusion

Vacuum infusion is a process in which, using a vacuum film (bag), a vacuum is created in the working cavity of the mold and, due to the difference in pressure, the resin is sucked in and the reinforcing materials are impregnated.

Advantages:

• better ratio of resin and fibers (increased strength);
• reduction of the air content in the laminate (increased strength);
• saving resin;
• reduction of emission of harmful substances;
• "sandwich" type structures can be made in one step.

 

 

Laying out sequence

Autoclave molding - production of products from prepregs.

The prepreg or multilayer prepreg bag is laid out on the mold, placed with it in a vacuum bag and the pressure is reduced in it. The method in which curing is carried out by creating a pressure gradient with respect to atmospheric pressure is called vacuum bagging. Since excessive external pressure is often created using an autoclave, this method is also called autoclave molding.

RTM Light technology

The technology of manufacturing fiberglass by the method of injection into a closed mold requires the use of special equipment, which consists of two parts: the matrix itself and the reciprocal form - the punch. The essence of the method of manufacturing fiberglass by injection is as follows: a dry, pre-cut glass material is placed between the matrix and the punch. It can be fiberglass, a special glass mat or another type of reinforcing material. Then, with the help of special equipment, a resin-hardener mixture is injected into the closed mold under pressure. After curing, the already finished product is removed from the mold and subjected to machining, if required.