IBEX 365 News
Composites One and the Closed Mold Alliance Demos
The Closed Mold Alliance is comprised of three industry experts, founded by Composites One, the leading supplier of composite materials in North America, along with Magnum Venus Products (MVP), and RTM North Technologies. From introduction and education, to tooling resources, to implementation consultation the Closed Mold Alliance operates with one mission in mind: to provide leadership, knowledge, training, and resources for the successful evolution of closed mold processes.
Closed Molding has many benefits including reduced waste and emissions, lower material and disposal costs, a more consistent and repeatable process, and reduced cycle times which lead to higher productivity and lower labor costs.
Closed Mold Processes
The Closed Mold Alliance provides turnkey solutions for processes like Light Resin Transfer Molding (LRTM), Reusable Bag Molding, and Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP).
Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP) distinguishes itself by being the only process that utilizes only atmospheric pressure to push the resin into the mold cavity, which can be a one-sided mold with bagging film being utilized for the “B” side, a two-sided mold, or even a soft “envelope” bag.
Light Resin Transfer Molding, or Light RTM, is a process by which composite products are manufactured using a closed mold system, which consists of an “A” side mold (base mold) and a semi-rigid “B” side mold (counter mold) that are sealed together using vacuum pressure.
Reusable Bag Molding is often described as a hybrid process that borrows desirable features from both LRTM and VIP; most manufacturers use one of two methods: Closed Cavity Bag Molding (CCBM) or Silicone Bag Molding (SBM).
