Mould for a Louver Panel

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Mould for a Louver Panel

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k.alan.bates	k k.alan.bates posted 5 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
k Group: Forum Members Posts: 36, Visits: 664	I'm having a bit of a hard time conceptualizing how I would go about creating a mould for making a one-piece carbon fiber louver panel such as the one I have pictured. The flange around the perimeter is easy enough, but I can't quite reason how I would work out the open transition between the vane edges without making a solid transition then cutting out the opening. Does anyone have a better idea for handling the louver vanes in a way that wouldn't require cutting out large pieces of the part during postprocess? ...has anyone made composite louvers before? What was your mold process? Thanks everybody.
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k.alan.bates	k k.alan.bates posted 5 Years Ago HOT Post Details
k Group: Forum Members Posts: 36, Visits: 664	+x Warren (Staff) - 5/13/2020 11:58:30 AM Generally speaking, your mould would be made as a solid closed vent item. In terms of lay up, you will need some overlap to give neat edges to trim back to. If you use pre-preg or a stabilised fabric like our ProFinish carbon cloth, you can cut the edges quite cleanly so you would only need an overlap of a mm or so to give something to sand smooth against. So that sounds like "solid closed vent item" means "making a solid transition then cutting out the opening." Is my interpretation correct and does that mean my initial thought is the best way to go? ...Follow up about your use of the word 'overlap': Are you 1) referring only to the layup technique and are calling for a 1mm overlap of prepreg material or 2) are you referring to a ~1mm return molded into the louver vents to allow the trim to marry up with the backside of the vanes rather than the leading edge? Thank you very much for your assistance.
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