Wet lay-up vs. prepregs for short-run and prototype tooling

This paper will compare the advantages and disadvantages of wet lay-up v. prepreg epoxy/carbon-fiber tooling materials with respect to model types, material costs, labor costs, safety issues, cure cycles and mechanical properties. These comparisons will be made with short-run epoxy/carbon prototype tooling in mind. It will show that wet lay-up construction is faster, lower cost and dimensionally and structurally comparable to prepreg construction for prototype tools.