Infusion setup options

Hey guys,

I am basically making a carbon fiber tub. It measures 36x22x22 inches. The mold I have made and used once has about a 4 inch flange around it as well. Using infusion grade epoxy and the stack is just IMC/3k 2x2 CF/uni CF/Soric/3k 2x2 CF

My first infusion went ok but i know it could be far more optimal.

Sorry for the bad diagram.

I thought about trying a resin line along the length of the flange with the mti hose on the opposite side. Then maybe 2nd resin line in the bottom middle of the tub for it to have a fresh start to go up the vertical wall.

What do you guys think?

What type of fillet do you have at the transition between the base plane and the vertical walls? I’d imagine that you’d get some pretty serious race tracking around there. I would infuse at the top, like you mentioned as a second option, and just have a single vacuum vent line where you currently have your resin inlet port located in the drawing. Save you some MTI hose.

yes the diagram doesn’t show the bottom base plane and the vertical walls correctly it is the same rounded curvature as the vertical corners.

so run the spiral tubing all the way around the top of the laminate stack for resin to flow down the walls and into a central vac line on the base plane. Nice idea.

I would never infuse reverse. You always have the risc of Pinholes an dry spots where the flow fronts meet.
The setup is good but your resin distribution setup is wrong. just make a single distribution line on the bootom and not the two squares!

ok, sounds great DDCompound. I get to try your IMC on this run as well. Would you use a T connector on the MTI hose or would you close the loop at the very end with tape?

I would close one end with tacky and connect the other end to the vacuum hose. Make sure that it is tight that no resin can travel into the vacuum hose.

To further DD’s comment, with the two squares you run the risk of the center of the square closing off leaving them dry. Once the resin has started there will be less vacuum in the square.

If you are going with one input then use a nice big hose to make sure you can get enough resin in. If it is too much then you can clamp it a bit, if it too small you’re stuffed.

Having you resin flowing up hill is good as the resin front will push any bubbles up in front of it.

right on thanks guys

:+1: that’s the way I would do i.