THEORETICAL CONTENT
This training course will introduce you to the world of CFRPs (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics) and their application and manufacturing techniques. The content is focused mainly on applications with preimpregnated carbon fabrics (prepregs), manufactured with high performance thermosetting resins. In addition, other vacuum processes are also dealt with in-depth - vacuum infusion and hand lay-up.
We will study the main types of carbon fibres and their properties, their availability in the market, and how and when they are used.
We will analyse the most important kinds of thermosetting resins used for the production of both parts and moulds as well as their properties, compatibility, etc.
This training course is focused mainly on epoxy, urethane-acrylate and vinyl ester resins.
Also, we will analyse the most common core materials for manufacturing lightweight and rigid sandwich structures: balsa wood, PVC, PET, SAN, non-wovens and honeycombs.
Adhesives will be another essential topic throughout this training course: types, properties, compatibility, heat resistance…


PRACTICAL CONTENT
In this highly practical training course, you will learn the manufacturing processes involved in the production of carbon-epoxy prepreg parts and moulds for high performance applications (aeronautics, automotive, marine, renewable energies, etc.). You will also study the characteristics and main properties of these materials and their manufacturing processes.

We will produce a hollow underwater generator blade by hand lay-up, that will later be injected with epoxy foam.

A 5.5 m long sea kayak hull will be made by vacuum infusion using dry carbon fibres and different cores.
You will learn how to make aesthetic carbon parts either by infusion or with prepreg technology.

Two types of carbon moulds will be produced: one using prepregs and the other using dry fabrics.

A U-shaped carbon tubular part will be made using syntactic glass-epoxy prepregs.

In addition, different monolithic specimen laminates will be prepared, in order to analyse the importance of the orientations of the reinforcements. We will present different cores for the manufacturing of sandwich specimens resistant to bending, torsion and shear.

We will also work with urethane-acrylate, MMA and epoxy structural adhesives for bonding carbon-carbon, carbon-metal, carbon-plastics and carbon-other composites samples.