Anyone tried a reusable silicone vacuum bag?

Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Back

Home
»
Advanced Composites Forum
»
Equipment and Materials
»
Anyone tried a reusable silicone vacuum bag?

Anyone tried a reusable silicone vacuum bag?

Author	Message
jamesw	jamesw posted 12 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 61, Visits: 558	Anyone tried this before? Have a look for: EZ~Spray® Silicone 20 For those of us making multiple parts, it looks really good... Would be good to hear of anyone using it, and if EC would recommend it? James
	Reply Like 5
Matthieu Libeert	Matthieu Libeert posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 955, Visits: 3.4K	I'm going to try this out soon... it indeed looks like a great technique to make more parts Matthieu Libeert Founder MAT2 Composites X Sports website: www.mat2composites.com
	Reply Like 4
jamesw	jamesw posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 61, Visits: 558	Post up the results!
	Reply Like 4
Drew Diller	Drew Diller posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 35, Visits: 199	I ordered Smooth-On's test batch ... for making inflation semi-bladders, instead of vac bags. For the parts I'm doing, vac bags are very inconvenient. I don't have results to post yet, but of the small test patches I've played with, the finished silicone does indeed seem very durable.
	Reply Like 5
Drew Diller	Drew Diller posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 35, Visits: 199	I'm doing a test of this stuff combined with a polystyrene plug that I'm going to dissolve with acetone. I got a thin spot on this first try where I made the plug a bit too large, if this one doesn't work I'll try again with a smaller plug. Even when I get one to hold a goal pressure of 60 psi inside my mold, I'm still concerned about getting the bladder out after carbon layup and cure.
	Reply Like 5
Matthieu Libeert	Matthieu Libeert posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 955, Visits: 3.4K	Thx for the info, keep us updated I'll start soon, once my first parts come out of the mould, when I get my prepreg Matthieu Libeert Founder MAT2 Composites X Sports website: www.mat2composites.com
	Reply Like 5
Drew Diller	Drew Diller posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 35, Visits: 199	I had some real bonehead moments regarding the inflation neck - it was leaky, or it would tear out, etc. This revision is holding air throughout a 24 hour period - not high pressure mind you, it's not in the mold currently. I hope it behaves just as well when enclosed and with high pressure. Wish me luck...
	Reply Like 4
Drew Diller	Drew Diller posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 35, Visits: 199	Well, this silicone bladder test didn't go so well - my result had wall thicknesses that were too difficult to control in certain places. I'm going to test latex and a wax plug this weekend, which isn't relevant to the material in this thread. I'll post elsewhere about it if successful.
	Reply Like 5
compositepro	compositepro posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 22, Visits: 65	drew thats the process we use in industry, i work in design of composite bicycles in fact 20 years ago we pretty much invented it only using eutectic alloys inside the bladder we would melt out at 70 degrees if it is expanded polystyrene you dont need to melt it out it will become a quite gasseous state at cure temp (we are upwards of 200 deg) Latex will work but PU is far more effective 60psi - double it. also consider tapered sections where your neck meets the tube profile it wont tear out and replicate that feature in your mould its lower stress on any bladder you put in there Ps your not the guy who's experimenting at argonaut?
	Reply Like 4
Drew Diller	Drew Diller posted 12 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 35, Visits: 199	"Ps your not the guy who's experimenting at argonaut?" Hey, thanks for the advice compositepro! I will do the tapering advice ASAP because I need to enlarge my mold's inflation neck anyway. No I don't work for Argonaut - I sent them an email the other day actually, small world, haha. Edited 12 Years Ago by Drew Diller
	Reply Like 5