Can someone go thru the necessary equipment breakdown, and procedures for how to make latex bladders?
It’s complicated, and latex may not be the best material.
Do you have multi-piece tooling already made?
If you’re interested, this is a service we offer. Room temp and high temp bladders available with various fitting options.
latex is a pain…
but…you basiclly paint the latex on tool a few times, and some how attach a airline fitting to it.
Same thing for silicone…just friendlier and nonstick
Thanks TET for the offer, but with my limited budget I do not want to insult you with what i could pay ( digs for change under couch cushions):o
Now brush on silicone… would liquid rtv work for that purpose? I guess if i release wax the female mold good enough then brush the rtv inside it would easily pull free from the mold surface? How delicate is moldable rtv for a bladder? one time use or more?
TET I also thought about the latex bladder possibly causing the carbon cloth to kink or not line up the weave nicely. Unfortunately this is a cf look clear part that can’t be painted.
My other option I was thinking of is to make a solid inner male mold of the part ( a plug of sorts but also to be used permanently as the male part of the mold). Then apply stick on sheet wax according the thickness of the part design. Next make a two part female mold off of that.
How do i prevent air bubbles in the epoxy resin? Cure in an oven at 250F? will that “pop” the bubbles in the resin and release them out of the part? Or should I infuse the part to avoid trapped air bubbles?
If you make a closed mold, you could inject resin under pressure.
The inside of the part has to be presentation worthy? What is it?
liquid molding RTV would be fine. If you can do a layer of it, after the cure, add a layer of fiber filled rtv to give it strength…either cloth, or chopped glass. Then maybe another layer just to seal in the pressureized air.
I don’t know what pressure you can get on it, but it should somewhat work. By definition, the air bubbles should all be pushed out, as long as you vent the mold. Think of RTM or injection molding…you have the resin pushed into a closed mold, there has to be a way for the gas to escape…they have vents. Be it a tiny pin hole, or a sprue sized vent. It’s trial and error.
someone is doing that here…rings I think. I’ll let you know how it turns out. they have a metal tube, and a latex balloon.
/\ /\ /\ plus tips to prevent bubbles:
Dbl cup the mixing process
Pour from a higher height to help pop the bubbles.
Tips with Latex: use bandage gauze as a reinforcement so you can pull and strech it.
Latex is not the best media…and I still have an unopened 5 gallon pail of it from my classroom. :rolleyes:
Silicone is much better media…but pricely.
TET,
I know this post is several years old, but do you still offer high temp bladders? I am looking for non-silicone bladders that can be used at 285F multiple times, but not indefinetly. I am also searching for a bladder that can be used up to 350F, but this is a secondary priority.
Do you think you might be able to help?
MQC
If you could post an explanation, or better yet pictures, that would be helpful to determine the complexity.
TET,
Please contact me at matthew.colleen@quatrocomposites.com and I will provide you with more information.
MQC