The Reason Behind the Manufacture of Composite Materials - Essay Example

Running Head: USE OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN MASS PRODUCTION Student’s Name: Course Code: Lecture’s Name: Date of presentation: Abstract In the modern days engineering, composite materials have been gaining popularity and thus broadening the girth of the material scientists and engineers as well as the products engineers in all engineering fields. The maximization process attained with the use of these materials in the manufacturing process is literally setting free the designers from the inhibitions connected with the selection and manufacturing of natural engineering materials. For example, it is hard to find a strong, tough and yet lighter engineering materials. Generally, composite materials are made of reinforcement fiber reinforcement and the media matrix that joins them together. Introduction Composite materials refers to either naturally occurring or engineered materials composed of singular or more dissimilar materials with diverse chemical and physical properties that either remain separate or distinct at either macroscopic or microscopic extent within the structure of the generate material. For instance, the widely used composite is the brake part used in vehicles, which is a mixture of hard ceramic in a metal cake. Cultured marble mixed in granite is also used in toilet bowls and bathtubs. According to (pop, 2010), composites are largely adopted in demanding engineering fields such as spacecraft and airplane. Also concrete mixture is an example of composite which is widely applied as an engineering material widely than any other naturally used materials (Morey, 2009). Composite materials are widely expanding their influence in product designing in all the engineering disciplines. These materials are giving radical solutions to the difficult problems and scenarios. The materials are manufactured in formats that permit optimum high merit while minimizing to a great extent the undesirable characterizes related with the use of natural materials. This optimization process has enabled the designers to procure freely materials which are not available in the natural material list. For instance, it is hard to find material which is lighter, strong and hard at the same time. In such situations, tailor- made composite materials can be made thus allowing the engineer to come up with cheaper and superior products through the rethinking of the technical design. The composite idea is not an invention of man. For instance timber is a natural composite which is made up of cellulose fibers in the lignin matrix. The cellulose fibers offer the materials strength and stiffness. Historically, the Egyptians were the first to make composite materials, in form of building blocks made up of clay and straw. Benefits of composite materials over naturally occurring material Flexible and capability to make intricate shapes High stiffness indices and specific strength Reduced mass per unit volume Reduced coefficient of thermal and electricity conductivity Low radar visibility- for instance in military equipment Although the materials exhibit these advantages, they also show some drawbacks and limitations as follows: Difficulty in product making Increased production cost and hence the final products Attack by heat, moisture and solvent Susceptibility to subtle damage attacks Difficulty in fastening and joinery Manufacturing of Composites Composites are made of two groups of materials; the stiff reinforcement and matrix material. In the composite, the reinforcement material is surrounded by the matrix material thus promoting its structural integrity. The stiff reinforcement material brings into the composite; superior mechanical and physical properties thus boosting the quality of the final material. The combined effect gives superior properties and qualities that are in lacking in the individual ingredient materials. The rise in the variety of the matrix of material leading more strengthening permitting a product engineer to select maximum possible combination and blend. Ideally composites are created from individual material through the molding process. Depending with the procedure used, the matrix may be incorporated prior or after the introduction of the reinforcement material into the molding surface or cavity The matrix material is subjected to fusing process before ultimately gaining the desired structure and shape. An example of fusion and melding process is the polymerization process in the manufacture of polymer materials. There is numerous molding processes adopted based on the following: design considerations of the ultimate end product, the selected reinforcement and matrix material, design specifications of the final product, and also the gross quantity of the material used in the melding of the composite. Bigger composite masses can make automated and rapid hence more economically viable. Needless to say, lower composite quantities calls for lower capital investment but higher tooling and labor costs. Reinforcement Fibers The reinforcement fibers impart higher physical and mechanical properties of the composite end material. These reinforcement materials can be categorized into two: continuous and short discontinuous materials. Continuous materials are often made into layered or laminated structure. They are provided as pre- impregnated and dry in the desired matrix resin or, as individual unidirectional strands of various length, shapes and widths. These continuous strands are fairly expensive Short discontinuous strands are mostly used in situations where the final composite products undergo compression or sheet molding during the fusion process. They usually occur as chips, ply laminates, and flakes of different shapes. Source: (Strong, 2008) The Scope of Composite Material Reinforcing Composite materials are supposed to fulfill the desired major role of the products to be designed, most of which are crucial in the use and performance of the end product. Strands of reinforcement fibers are of little use to the designer, and it is through the use of the binding matrix that makes it possible for the material engineer to make them useful. The role of the reinforcement matrix and the fibers are different although they are interdependent. In the composite material the reinforcement strands maintains the particulate matter mass of the composite while the matrix binds these particulate fibers together (Pop, 2010). The matrix or binder puts separate the individual reinforcement fibers thus enabling them to perform their role as distinct independent entities. The matrix also prevents them from failing catastrophically due their brittle nature. The bidder also controls the growth of cracks in a composite material (Rufe, 2002). Moulding Methods In a typical process of manufacturing composites, the reinforcement fibers and binding matrix are pressed, combined through the melding process. In a thermos etic melding process, the process leads to production of heal for curing reaction in the chemical activity. Such processes include resin transfer molding and vacuum bag molding (Strong, 2008).. Application of Composite Materials in Manufacturing Engineering and Technology Generally concrete is the widely used artificial composite. Ideally concrete is made up of aggregate as reinforcement material with the cement as the biding or matrix mixture. Fibre reinforced material have been adopted in the aerospace industry due to their low weight, high physical and technical properties, light weight and high performance. Some of the components fabricated and manufactured using composite materials include fuselage, propeller, and high performance racing cars (Kaw, 2005). Granite reinforced fibres is used to make abrasive materials due to their high strength, toughness and thermal conductivity. Conclusion The technical paper has offered the reason behind the manufacture of composite materials, including the production processes used, and the main application fields. References Kaw, A. K. (2005). Mechanics of Composite Materials . CRC: Woodhead Publishing. MOREY, B. (2009, March 3). “Innovation Drives Composite Production”. Manufacturing Engineering Magazine, Society of Manufacturing Engineer Editor, pp. 49-60. POP, P. A., UNGUR, P., & LOPEZ-MARTINEZ, L. (2008). C.:”Rheological Aspects to Horizontal Rotational Forming of Thermoplastic Materials”. ASME Conference MSEC & ICMP2008 (pp. 1-7). Evanston, IL, USA: Proceedings of MSEC2008/ICMP2008. POP, P., & BEJINARU, P. (2010). Manufacturing process and applications of composite materials. Fascicle of Management and Technological Engineering, Volume IX (XIX),, 2-4. RUFE, P. (2002). Fundamentals of Manufacturing. Dearborn, MI, USA,: Society of Manufacturing Engineer Editor,. STRONG, A. (2008). Fundamentals of Composite Manufacturing. Materials, Methods and Applications. Dearborn, MI, USA: SME Editor Read More