Tue, 05 March, 2019
As a leading organisation on microwave heating of composites, TWI has been working on the technology for nearly three decades. On the 15th March 2019 a workshop will be held at Loiretech, where project SIMUTOOL and the future of this technology will be discussed with stockholders from the aerospace and automotive supply chains. This is held in conjunction with Loiretech’s new facility inauguration. The details can be found in the flyer.
The SIMUTOOL project started in September 2015, to develop a simulation platform for the manufacturing of composites through microwave (MW) heating. The simulation includes an electromagnetic field coupled with heat transfer mechanisms that take place during the production process. It also includes the process control loop which enables the optimum design for the manufacturing process. One of the major outputs of the simulation platform will be the successful design of a ceramic matrix composite tool with an MW absorbing layer, in order to maximise the energy saving potential of the MW heating process. The project addresses the manufacturing issues of MW heating of composites, which stem from the lack of understanding of the basic physics of the process.
The project has reached its final stage where the process simulator will be optimised and packaged through a series of validation experiments using aerospace and automotive test cases. The project will be concluded this summer.
You can find out more about the SIMUTOOL project on the dedicated website.
Simulation of microwave field distribution