Composites
Assigment objetive:
1.- Design and make a 3D mold (~ft2)
2- Produce a fiber composite part in it
1.- Design and make a 3D mold
I found composites assignment interesting and useful for my carrier and final project. Results interesting how fiber and resin could work together when are mixed as a composite material because them has better proprieties than when they are separate.
To this experiment I started mechanizing a MDF mold in Shopbot starting with a bold ½ in bit and finishing with ¼ in as you can see in next images. I select a bowl shape in order to prove the material combination.
I have been looking some fiber options. The most interesting and stylish fiber for me is the Toquilla artisanal one, so I decided to start with it.
2- Produce a fiber composite part in it
In this chance I selected rubber as complement agent to complete composite material because I like how it returns to original shape when you deformed it, propriety that artisanal fiber has not. So what I wanted to prove was if I make a composite material base in rubber and artisanal fiber, I would have a material that returns to its original shape or it would conserve a determinate shape when you deform it?
At this point I committed an error because I didn’t apply enough wax to stop rubber to paste in MDF mold. As a result of that error rubber definitely pasted in the wood mold and I had to break some parts of the composite shape. Fortunately what I wanted to experiment were the proprieties of the composite material.
Conclusions:
1.- The use of totora artisanal fiber and silicon rubber as a composite material form a material that returns to its original shape and is less flexible than the use of rubber along in a 5 mm sheet.
2.- Verify if you have all materials that you need when Neil’s class finished to prevent improving situations and errors
