Facilities & Capabilities
The Northwest Composite Centre provides extensive facilities which can be used for a variety of applications. These include:-
Quickstep Technology Processing
A recently developed technique for rapid processing of composites using a heat transfer fluid rather than a metal mould. For further details click here.
Microwave Processing
Heat transfer is often an issue limiting heat up using a heat up rates. This can be overcome by microwave heating heating since the energy does not rely on conduction.
Robotic Tow Placement
A facility for robotic tow placement is being developed. Using our expertise in textile structures we will research methods for thorough thickness placement of reinforcement.
C-scan and X-Ray Imaging Facility
We have a large characterisatio
n apparatus including C-scan and X-ray tomography.
Impact Testing
With our partners we have access to a range of impact testing facilities, including drop-weight and ballistic testing.
Textile Structures
We have facilities to design and manufacture a wide range of textile structures including 3D woven, braided and knitted structures and to manufacture prepregs or composites from them.
Textile
Braiding,
Weaving
Knitting
Composite Manfacture
Quickstep QS5
RTM (x3)
Pre preging facilities
Microwave and RF processing facilities
General polymer processing facilities
Twin screw extruder with volumetric and gravimetric feeders
Single screw extruder withcaterpillar haul off/sheet haul off/take up with water heaters/vacuum sizing bath
Compression moulder x3)
Davenport melt flow index
Davenport high shear viscometer
Rosand RH-2000 advanced rheometer system
Rheometrics RMS800 mechanical spectrometer
Negri Bossi NB60 injection moulder
Bridge 2-roll mill (water cooled)
Lees Disc apparatus
Vacuum oven (2x)
Techne fluidised bath
Vacuum former
Balance (2x)
Air convection oven (2x)
Bridge Banbury internal mixer with oil heater
Tumble mixer
Routing machine
Granulator
Characterisation
Temperature and humidity controlled room (23°C/50% RH) with mechanical testing facilities
Modulated DSC (x3)
Perkin Elmer TMA
TA instruments Q800 DMA with dual cantilever and 3 point bend
TA instruments DSC 2920 modulated DSC with -150°C to 450 range. also
photocalorimeter for monitoring uv curing reactions.
TA Instruments TGA 2950 Hi-res option (upper limit 1000°C)
Perkin Elmer FTIR with heated cell
Nicolet 5700 FTIR with diamond ATR
Perkin Elmer Gas chromatograph
GPC facilities
UV-vis facilities
Micro DSC
X ray tomography
C scan
Coordinate measurement machine
Impact testing
