Project Proposal: Automotive Composites Manufacturing Processes

This project proposal investigates cost-effective composite manufacturing processes for automotive applications, addressing the industry's need for lightweight, high-performance materials. The proposal explores the Quickstep process and resin spray transfer (RST) technologies, comparing their advantages and disadvantages, particularly in terms of cost, production time, and material properties. The project delves into the background of composite materials, highlighting the importance of weight reduction in the automotive sector and the potential of polymer matrix composites. It examines the Quickstep process, including its principles, advantages over autoclave curing, and relevance to the automotive industry. The proposal also details the RST technology, including its step-by-step process, attributes, and current developments. The proposal aims to enhance processing parameters for high-quality parts, reduce required experiments for new component cure establishment, and model system behavior during the curing process. The project emphasizes the need for sustainable and efficient manufacturing techniques, focusing on the application of Quickstep and RST for automotive applications to improve cost-effectiveness, production efficiency, and material performance.

PROJECT PROPOSAL
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Introduction
The pregregs or the pre-impregnated fibers have been put in a wide range of applications to
generate composite parts of high quality. The epoxy resin curing interest for the mechanisms and
techniques applied in prepregs results from the utilization of reinforced concretes. The
morphology of resin is determined by the chemical reactions that occur during curing process,
which, on the other way round determines the thermoset resin properties after curing.
Investigations have been done to analyze the formulations of different epoxy resin for the
relationship between the properties of processing-morphology(Lei et al.2018). The initial pace
for the process of evaluation which is very important understands the mechanism as well as the
kinetic processes encountered in the reaction technique of curing.
The proposed literature pictures issues to deal with mechanisms as well as kinetic for the cure of
thermoset. Regardless of the considerable efforts applied by scholars currently concerning the
cure of epoxy resin, many factors still need to be looked into. The contradicting information that
was presented by scholars in the past years concerning the reaction processes of epoxy system
cure should be verified (Zhang et al.2017).
Analysis predicts future increase in modeling interest for the processing of epoxy composite
based on the rapid manufacturing and design with the help of computer. The main objectives are;
to enhance the parameters of processing that will generate parts with great consistency and of
high quality and to reduce the required experiments for establishment of cure for new
components in a circular manner. A well structure model makes it easy to picture the behavior of
the system at curing process as well as the ultimate condition. Giving a description on the
kinetics of cure is one of the very vital tools for the models. Explanation of cure kinetics may be

complicated regarding the complexity and lack of understanding of the chemistry of epoxy
curing.
The various experimental mechanisms that will be employed to monitor cure reaction for the
system of thermosetting include dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC) and maybe cited rheological analysis. DSC will be capable to determine the
required flow of heat to maintain the temperature of the sample at a desired value, showing
degradation reactions and information on cure process. The test for DMA will involve loading of
the specimen in bending and force together with displacement capacities are used to determine
the features of the material.
Background
Quickstep Processing
Sandwich Schemes and autoclave cure of thermosets/thermoplastics prepregs are still regarded
as the most reliable technique for the manufacture of very important aero structures. This
particular technology requires very high pressure and temperature, heavy tooling with several
hours of cure cycle time. These particular properties together with higher capital expenditure,
requirements of the infrastructure as well as time to commission have made the processing of
autoclave increasingly very undesirable. There is need for an increase in the rates of the
production as the requirements of aerospace timescale decreases. This particular requirement is
basically difficult to achieve by the use of the traditional methods of autoclave manufacturing.
This implies that there is need to develop cost-effective technique for processing which can
actually produce autoclave-cure parts that are very qualitative. This should be achieved at
significantly very lower cost as well as the required time.

Quickstep is regarded as relatively new technique which is used in the manufacture of
composites. This particular technique has been developed by Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd in
Perth that is found in the Western Australia. This was first patented in the year 1966. The
principles are involved in this particular technique are as illustrated in the figure below.
Figure 1: Schematic illustration of the Quickstep process (Lebaupin et al.2018)
Brief explanation on the Quickstep process
The technique of the Quickstep function by quickly inviting an application of heat to the
laminate of composite which has been placed between two floating and balanced molds. These
molds may be semisolid. When a fluid of heat transfer commonly refered to as HTF is passed at
very high velocity over the parts, the mold and the curing part will be separated from HTF by
special flexible membrane. There is provision of a much faster cycle of cure by Quickstep than
the process of autoclave. This is possible since increased capacity of heat as well as thermal
conductivity of the fluid which is responsible for heat travel allow for more efficient and faster
cure than air-filled or nitrogen autoclaves.
Typical cooling and heating rates usually range from 10e12 K/min. This has been made
practically achievable by the use of the Quickstep setup. As a result of very high rates of cooling

and heating during the composite processing, the isotherms of the reactions are never illustrated
in the processes as very important rise in the projected lay-up. This is because the fluid which is
circulating assist in the removal of the excess heart which might have accumulated in the entire
process(Russell et al 2017).
Unlike for the case of the autoclave processing, the process of Quickstep is usually characterized
by very low pressure. In fact the approximated pressure is usually at 10 kPa. This is the pressure
which is applied during the processing as opposed to 700 kPa which is usually applied as
external pressure during the processing of autoclave. Since external pressure in the autoclave is
used to control or possibly collapse voids of high pressure which are consequences of volatile
solvents, there are other mechanisms of void removal which are utilized in the case of the
Quickstep processing.
Quickstep has several advantages when compared with the processing of autoclave. These
benefits have been highlighted since the introduction of technology of Quickstep. The part
components which have been manufactured by the use of Quickstep are usually superior if not
comparable to the parts which are autoclave-cured. This is in terms of stiffness, strength,
appearance and surface finish. The aerospace grade void content is usually rated to be below 2%.
Another significant parameter is the low pressure used during the processing using processes of
Quickstep. This is very beneficial since the result is light molds which are safe and therefore
saving on the cost. The cost of production is thus reduced by the rapid processing. These unique
features enable technology of Quickstep to support mass production.
Relevance of Quickstep in the Automotive Industry

In the initial stages, this particular technology was meant for the aerospace industry applications.
In fact it was considered as an approach of an out of autoclave. Considering that it successfully
entered the industry of aerospace, the next important target of this technology is going to be the
automotive. For example in the year 2007, there was a team work between Victorian Centre and
Quickstep for the manufacture of the advanced materials which are meant for the program of R
and D. In fact the focus was to emerge the two industries of automotive and aerospace. It is from
this merger that an important outcome of Quickstep technology for automotive was adopted.
In the initial stages of applications, Quickstep was used in the manufacture of tubes which
could potentially be used in various applications in the automotive industry. These tubes were
subjected to tests by DMA as well as crash testing. During this test, the time for Quickstep
curing was only 7minutes. This was equivalent to almost 95% less as compared to the required
time for autoclaved besides recording very little time for preparation. The degree of cure for the
tubes manufactured through the processes of Quickstep was found to be far much higher than
those produced from autoclaved. This was the same as production of highly repeatable energy-
absorption properties under conditions of the crush. It is important to note that the parts made
through Quickstep showed higher content of void.
Interested researchers have analyzed the behaviour of the surfaces when they are exposed to the
harsh conditions of the environment. In this analysis, the surfaces of the composites made from
Quickstep and those made from autoclave process were exposed to similar conditions of the
environment. This went alongside confirmation of the temperature combination from (70, 120,
and 170C), UV-B, humidity (95% RH) and finally immersion in water. From the result analysis,
it was discovered that the surfaces made by the processes of the Quickstep were actually less
susceptible to environmental damages as compared to those components made through the

processes of autoclaved. The surface roughness of the samples from autoclave were up to three
times (Ra = 0.72 mm) the values registered as roughness for the samples of Quickstep ((Ra =
0.23 mm).
The technology of resin spray transfer
The technology of resin spray transfer is currently regarded to be a paradigm change in the
effective composite manufacturing in terms of cost and time, more particularly for automotive
submissions. It offers a complete solution to manufacturing process in an automated system. The
term “complete” refers to the whole manufacturing process including impregnation, cure, lay-up
and consolidation
A step by step technology of resin spray transfer
There is a slight similarity between the process of RST and Resin Film Infusion (RFI) process
which is created through direct spray of resin in molten state to the mold using robotic arm.
Controlling resin rheology is done in a way that it freezes immediately it gets into contact with
the surface of the mold regarding the chemical components for the system of resin. Dry fibers are
generated by other processes of production and then re-placed over the cooled-solid film of resin
by a robot. The film of resin gets into immediate contact and instantly changes on the mold
surface, however due to its state, solid, it offers a degassing space sufficient enough before
heating and treating the part (Lebaupin et al.2017). The subassembly comprising of the preform,
mold and resin film is subjected to vacuum then the assembly is transferred to Quickstep curing
chamber to ensure successive heating and curing.
The attributes of resin spray transfer

The operation of resin spray transfer is on the basis of resin system novel composition. Report
analysis shows that various companies that take part in commercial processes of resin system
like production, manufacturing and development have great interest and devise the necessary
RST systems. The system of RST matrix is compost of a pair of vital attributes which include
“low cost” and “rapid time of cure.” Exothermic reactions that occurred during polymerization
are likely to stimulate thermal effects that may burn the part. The exothermic reaction is
regulated by application of various retardants by the manufacturers of commercial resin leading
to high costs incurred. The exothermic reactions produces a lot of heat that is regulated by the
Quickstep thus reducing the matrix system cost since the Quickstep process does not necessitate
application of exothermic retardants of the composition used for RST.
The technology of RST is highly mechanized to significantly reduce the cost of labor. The
costly freezing requirements and clean rooms are therefore not necessary as the process does not
require the use of prepregs. The mechanized use of carbon fibers as well as system of resin also
reduces the cost with great values. As a result of surface finishing of high quality provided by the
mold, other requirement processes are eliminated such as sanding and bogging, hence
minimizing the cost spent (Raponi et al.2018). Other practices that also help reduce the cost are
direct potential spray of primer to the mold, application of reusable vacuum bags and use of less
expensive molds.
The current developments and stories of success
According to the analysis which was conducted by Quickstep in the past years, RST has been
recognized to have excelled one of the difficult test of environmental issues for the body panels
of carbon fiber designed for a luxurious car designer in Australia. The Quickstep test reported

that it was not easy to acquire the highest quality pain finish with the components of carbon fiber
and literally maintain such standards for a long duration as in metal composites. The report
further states that the benchmark has only been attained by a small number of composite
technologies and the quality can be delivered at best standards by RST at greatly reduced cost.
Project aim and deliverable
The main aim of the project will be to achieve an AeroQure Process Optimization. The following
will be the project deliverables:
 Firstly, in order to correlate the conversion, the viscosity and Tg experienced during the
isothermal heating will be guided by aborting runs of the rheometer at specific intervals
of time. Samples will be quenched and analyzed by the DSC. The following diagram
illustrates the schematic process which will be followed in order to get samples of DSC
in the period of rheometer run (Hwang et al 2018).
 Secondly, the viscosity and Tg will be plotted as a function of time for sample heating
within the rate of 9.8oC/min. It is expected that the viscosity will decrease by
approximately 2 orders of magnitude. This will be due to the result of strong temperature
dependence. The value of Tg will be expected to remain constant during the initial stages
of curing, despite the large decrease in the viscosity.
 Thirdly, conversion and complex viscosity will be plotted as a function of curing time for
a sample with heating rate of 9.8oC/min. The expected initial conversion by DSC will be
noted (This will be reacted partially with the prepreg powder with B-stage conversion).

 Finally, the relationship between the degree of cure and viscosity will be determined
through careful combination of the use of rheometry and other methods of thermal
analysis.
Specific project objectives
Epoxy 8552 prereg is known to be one of the thermoplastic toughened high performance epoxy
which is been used in the manufacture of the advanced materials used in army. Understanding of
the cure behaviour of a system of thermosetting is very crucial in the optimization and
development of the composites during the processes of fabrication. The cure kinetics as well as
rheological behaviour will be evaluated by the use of differential scanning calorimeter also
refered to as DSC, rheometer and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The values of the
kinetic parameters will be obtained from the DSC scans using the model of the nth order
reaction. The rheological measurements will be treated as a function of time and temperature for
the prepreg system.
Project benefits and implications
Cost effective ways of manufacturing parts of the automobile are evaluated on daily basis. The
studies have focused on the use of the thermoset composites which are believed to be reliable.
Similarly the emergence of the Quickstep processing as an advanced method of thermoset
composite treatment in the market adds a lot of value in the market. The method though more
popular in the aerospace industry as practiced by Quickstep Pty Ltd will help to increase the high
volume requirements of production. Considering that this particular projects aims at achieving
AeroQure Process Optimization in the field, the volume of production will thus increase in the
automobile sector.

Rationale
The rheological characterization which is being witnessed among the composite matrix resins is
increasingly becoming very important. The information about gel temperature, flow
characteristics as well as minimum viscosity has been useful in the selection of the new system
of resins and in the establishment of preliminary parameters of parameters. However there are
few studies which have been reported in majority of the literature. The rheological evaluation of
epoxy prepregs deserves to be given further attention by the scholars or researchers. During the
process of the rheological analysis , there is measurement of the molecular mobility as a function
of time or temperature. Any variation in the mobility of the molecules is treated as perfect
reflection of the changes in the viscosity during the process of cure. The combined results
obtained from DSC as well as DMA techniques assist in the provision of an –depth material
characterization through exploitation of thermal properties (Gan et al.2017).
The most crucial problem which is related to the use of epoxy resins in the systems which are
preimpregnated is that they are usually very brittle inherently. This has basically been the subject
of most of the studies which focuses on toughening of the matrices of epoxy without necessarily
having their attributes compromised. Some of the desirable characteristics which need to be
preserved include having high glass transition temperatures (Tg), advantageous strength to weight
ratios and high modulus (Lei et al.2018). Majority of the rubber additives and thermoplastics
have received a lot of attention to have them achieve this particular goal as result of their ductile
nature, high modulus and high (Tg). They have actually proved to be very effective in the case of
highly cross-linked systems of epoxy resins. Due to the close relationship between mechanical
properties, network structure and reaction kinetics, understanding of the reaction kinetics of the
epoxy cure will be very important. However, with the introduction of rubber modifiers or

thermoplastics, further complexities have been noticed. Such kind of the complexities rises from
the interaction between the rubber or thermoplastics and epoxy materials which basically
influences the process of cure.
In this particular study, DMA,DSC as well as rheological techniques will be used in the
investigation of some of the parameters of kinetic cure reactions as for the recent 8552 system of
epoxy that has been modified using thermosets, impregnated into the reinforcement of carbon
and finally evaluate the used curing cycle(Aversa et al.2016). In particular the targeted curing
cycle will be that which is required in the manufacture of polymeric composites are relevant in
the aeronautical fields. One of the primary assumptions which is used in such processes is that
the recorder heat evolution by DSC is directly proportional to the degree of epoxy group
consumption within the epoxy resin members. This will basically imply that the reactive group
will be the same curing agent. Kinetic data will be obtained from the dynamic DSC as well as
measurements of rheological undertaking. Other sources of date will include both isothermal and
dynamic DMA measurements during the reactions of the curing process.
Justification and Significance of the study
In the underlying stages, this specific innovation was intended for the aeronautic trade
applications. Indeed it was considered as a methodology of an out of autoclave. Taking into
account that it is effectively entered the business of aviation, the following significant objective
of this innovation will be the realized. For instance in the previous years, there was a cooperation
between Victorian Center and Quickstep for the assembly of the propelled materials which are
intended for the program of R and D as well as other desired programs of aerospace. Indeed the