Reinforcements for Tooling

Some types of tools used in the manufacture of composite structures  include carbon or glass reinforcements laminated by infusion or wet layup.  Typical selection criteria for tooling materials can include the coefficient of thermal expansion, predicted number of manufacturing cycles, finished part tolerances, desired or required surface condition, cure method, glass transition temperature of the material being molded.  

For many decades Hexcel has offered an extensive range of glass and carbon tooling fabrics with optimized fibers allowing the ideal resin content ratio to be achieved. Glass fabrics for tooling are woven with special yarns allowing very precise dimensional stability; the areal weight of these fabrics varies from 100 to 900 gsm. For carbon tooling fabrics Hexcel’s various weave styles range from 1K to 24K. . Thanks to Hexcel’s patented PrimeTex® technology, 12K woven fabrics are the ideal choice for very thin  surface plies ( below 200 gsm) while 24K fabrics provide the best quality to cost compromise for heavier plies from 400 to 800 gsm.    The HexForce® range of tooling fabrics is suitable for various markets, including Aerospace, automotive (including motor sport), marine, one off or series boats, wind energy. These fabrics are available from stock around the world via Hexcel’s distribution network.