Determination of curing times in an ultraviolet curing composites manufacturing process

Currently, the manufacture of fiberglass composite parts for the automotive industry is limited by the curing times of the resins. The curing of this type of parts is usually done at room temperature, which entails waiting times of up to 48 hours. The purpose of this study is to analyse the curing times of the pieces made with ultraviolet curing resin to replace the conventional temperature curing. In the case of ultraviolet radiation curing, the geometry of the part has a significant importance in curing times. To carry out this study, the UV lamp has been characterized to determine the irradiance at different distances. Once the irradiance is obtained as a function of the distance, the curing time of the prepreg test tubes was determined by means of a dielectric analysis (DEA). As a result, a mathematical model capable of approximating the curing time of different types of pieces based on their geometry and distance from the spotlight has been obtained. In this way, it is possible to create a strategy that optimizes the process. This process is much more efficient than the hand lay-up (HLU) used up to now, so it could be a good substitute if you want to increase the production of fiberglass composite parts. © 2024, Scipedia S.L.. All rights reserved.