Improve durability and surface quality of additively manufactured molds using carbon fiber prepreg

Abstract Hybrid tooling is an emerging concept introduced in the aerospace industries to reduce weight and cost of traditional tools. A hybrid tool features a skin, which provides desired surface quality, durability, and a low‐density substrate to reduce the weight of the mold. The big area additive manufacturing (BAAM) technology permits rapid production of thermoplastic polymer intensive large‐scale structures. The present study features a carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (CF‐PPS) substrate fabricated using Oak Ridge National Laboratory's BAAM system. Carbon fiber‐bismaleimide (CF‐BMI) prepreg skin was then bonded to the BAAM tool through high‐pressure autoclave molding. Process optimization was conducted to improve the bonding between CF‐PPS and CF‐BMI (transverse tensile strength increased from 0.54 to 4.8 MPa). Durability of the mold was demonstrated from fabricating seven (7) carbon fiber‐Huntsman epoxy hand lay‐up parts utilizing the mold.