FAUST: MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LOW-COST FOAM MATERIALS UNDER REAL BOUNDARY PROCESS CONDITIONS FOR RTM LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION

The Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process is the first choice for large-scale production of continuous fiber reinforced composite structures due to its capabilities of industrialization and automation at low price. However, the process is currently limited to monolithic structures. Low-cost and yet powerful foam materials do not seem to be compatible with the manufacturing conditions of the RTM process. Available measuring methods do not sufficiently analyze the foam behavior during processing, so that expensive preliminary manufacturing tests are necessary. The use of high-performance foam material, as known in aerospace applications, is not an alternative due to their high price.